


You're a Cactus

by The_Clamp



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Archer Jun, Explicit Sexual Content, Feels, Finding Love, Junhee was lonely, King Wow, Kingdoms, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Peril, Piercings, Side Wowkwan, Slow Burn, Some angst, Strangers to Lovers, Tattoos, Tenderness, Understanding Differences, maybe medium burn, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:35:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 67,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23147059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Clamp/pseuds/The_Clamp
Summary: Junhee is a simple hunter, living his humble life on the edge of a small town between the frozen lake and the mountains. One day, he finds a stranger from a distant land, near death in the snow at the edge of the forest.-Donghun fled the sun scorched wasteland of his home before the crumbling city walls could be swallowed entirely by the endless swirling sands, burying him along with it. Now he finds himself in a land he could never have even imagined, filled with strange sights and customs.
Relationships: Kim Byeongkwan/Kim Sehyoon | Wow, Lee Donghun/Park Junhee | Jun
Comments: 155
Kudos: 203





	1. Stranger in the Snow

**Author's Note:**

> So I wasn’t going to start this until after I’d finished my MX project but right now I need an escape and the world-building in this is exactly what I need!

_The Northern Kingdom was a frozen land. Huge areas of empty tundra to it’s northern most regions. Thick forests all throughout the mid and western borders. It’s ferocious southern coast was rich with fish, as were it’s rivers and huge glacial lakes. Though it's climate was generally harsh, cold and the land largely not able to sustain crops, it still flourished thanks to the mountains practically bleeding silver ore and other precious metals. It allowed them to trade widely with the Eastern Empire and the Southern Isles._

_Together, the three nations flourished._

_But there was once a forth kingdom. Far beyond the mountains, to the west, was an uninhabitable land where nobody dared to tread. Nobody had lived out in the vast desert for generations. It was a barren landscape, scorched by the relentless sun and parched of rainfall. It was known as the Deadland. Amongst the dry, baking sands, a once proud civilisation lay in ruins, it’s people buried by the ever shifting desert of their homeland. Lost along with their horde of treasures, consumed by their greed as they were consumed by the unforgiving land._

____________________________

Junhee lived in a small town which sat nestled between the forest at the foot of the mountains and a huge freshwater lake referred to as the Glass Lake. Named so because of the smooth sheet of ice which laid over most of it’s surface for more than half the year. 

He headed through the outer part of the tree line, his bow in his hand and quiver full of arrows on his back. If he was lucky he’d come across a small deer, too big and he wouldn’t be able to drag it home by himself. A two snow hares would be just fine, though. One would feed him and the other could be sold in the market. He carried some rope at his hip to fashion traps, but his skills with his bow and arrow were good enough that he generally didn’t need to resort to traps. 

He’d neglected his food supplies lately and so he was running low. Complacency and a mild sickness having gotten the better of him. 

While looking for tracks in the snow, Junhee’s keen hunter’s eyes caught an unusual sight, something laying in the snow up ahead. At first he thought it might be an animal. Maybe it was injured or dead, nothing would just be laying around out in the open like that. He approached cautiously, taking an arrow from his quiver and drawing his bow. If it was a fresh kill then a predator could be nearby, a wolf or bear if he was incredibly unlucky. But if it was a sick or injured animal, he couldn’t simply leave it to suffer.

But as he got closer, it became clear he wasn’t looking at an animal. 

It was a person. 

Rushing over and dropping his bow and arrow, he checked for signs of life. It was a young man dressed in very strange clothes. They covered almost all of his skin but were thin enough that they’d provide almost no warmth. Who would be out here wearing so little? Perhaps the young man had gotten drunk and wandered outside in his nightclothes. Or maybe he’d been struck by a sudden madness.

“Hey!” Junhee shook him. When there was no response, he checked for a pulse in the young man’s neck. There was something, but not much. He’d surely die from exposure to the cold if he remained out here.

He couldn’t leave him out here. This man needed help. So, he pulled the fur cloak off himself and wrapped it around the strangely dressed individual as best he could before placing his bow on his back and picking the stranger up. “Let’s get you warm.”

The stranger wasn’t too difficult to carry, he felt surprisingly light in Junhee’s arms. It was just a little awkward through the deeper untrodden snow at the edge of the forest. 

It didn’t take long to carry the man back to his home, a small stone house with a thatched roof, nothing out of the ordinary and mercifully not far away. He laid the man down on the bed and set about removing his clothes which were wet from the snow. As awkward as it was to strip a stranger naked, he had to get him warm and dry, otherwise he could still succumb to the cold. 

The stranger wore a headscarf made from some kind of thin linen and his clothes were made of a very similar material. They were simple garments but had been lovingly sewn and repaired with small stitches of red thread, standing out against the light brown of the fabric. Junhee carefully hung them near the fire to dry and turned his attention back to the young man. 

His feet and hands were reddened from the cold, but hopefully it wouldn’t progress to frostbite. There was a deep cut in his right leg, extending from just below his knee down almost to his ankle on the outer side. It looked like it had happened a couple of days ago and at least wasn’t bleeding anymore. His cheeks looked almost burned like when the sun reflects harshly off the snow and burns the skin over a long period of time, even though they hadn’t had sun for a while. There was similar redness on his shoulders and upper arms. Strange. 

On top of this, the guy was filthy. Covered in a fine dust from head to toe. Even his wavy brown hair was full of it. It was also apparent why he was so light to carry, he looked half starved. Thin like he hadn’t eaten a proper meal in his life. 

Those weren’t the strangest things about the man, though. There were a lot of small gold rings passing through his earlobes, some smaller than others, There was also one through his eyebrow and another through his left nipple. Most of the rings through his flesh contained at least one small bead made from a vibrant greenish blue stone. There was also a pendant on a leather string around his neck made from the same stone, carved into the depiction of a bird in flight. He wore a string of beads around his wrist, also. 

Then there was the most unusual thing of all. His body was decorated with tattoos, black ink laid into his tanned caramel skin. Lines and dots intricately placed to create patterns and symbols. A bird in flight on his forearm, like the one on his pendant and a large black sun on his chest were the most notable of all. Junhee didn’t like to look too closely, it seemed improper to look at an unconscious person’s bare body.

This person was simply like nothing Junhee had seen before, though. He knew people from the Eastern Empire liked to wear jewellery and would even pierce their ears, it was the reason they were able to trade silver and precious gems from the mountains and lakes in exchange for fabrics, spices and grain. He was no expert on the Eastern Empire but the adornments this person wore were nothing like what he was familiar with coming from there. It was most certainly nothing like the people of his own nation wore, either. Maybe someone would wear a pendant made from a carved tusk or antler but nothing like this. Here, people showed off wealth with silver belt buckles and excessive fancy furs or even silks from the east. Jewellery was pointless when you had to cover up from the elements. As for the tattoos, that was definitely not something he’d seen before. He’d only ever heard about some of the mountain folk and the people of the southern isles having such practices. It seemed strange and barbaric to him. 

Maybe this man was one of the mountain folk. That could explain the tattoos and maybe the jewellery was pillaged from some distant traveller. But his clothes still wouldn’t make sense. The mountain folk were accustomed to the climate.

Junhee pushed his curiosity aside. All that didn’t matter. He had to get this man warm and then tend to his injuries. He threw every blanket and fur he had over the stranger on the bed and took a seat next to the fire to observe him in case he woke up confused and disorientated. 

It would be getting dark soon and he had very little food left after a fruitless hunt. He should add the last of his barley and some water to the pot of stew in the kitchen, his guest would probably wake up hungry. I

If he woke up at all, that is. 

. . . 

It wasn’t until the next day that the dark haired man finally came around. It was while Junhee was giving him a drink of water. The stranger had been swallowing the small amounts of Junhee had poured into his mouth but he’d suddenly coughed and opened his eyes, grabbing desperately at the jug.

The sudden movement had startled the blonde and caused him to jump back, almost spilling the water everywhere. “Shit, sorry. You scared the hell out of me.” He let the man’s coughing settle before helping him to drink more. He couldn’t help noticing how quickly he drained all of the water, he must have been pretty dehydrated.

The stranger began looking around him in obvious confusion, brow furrowed and eyes worried. It was the first time Junhee was able to properly see his feature now that he was awake. A handsome face and dark, puppy like eyes. 

“You were out in forest when I found you. I thought you’d die for sure so I’m glad you’re awake.” Junhee tried to explain. 

The man looked at him, still seeming puzzled as his eyes shifted over Junhee like he was trying to decode something.

“What were you doing out there barely clothed?” Junhee questioned, placing the empty jug down on the bedside table. 

The man blinked at him for a few seconds. “Hel..lo.” He said, rubbing his hands over his face. “Hello.” He said again, more confidently this time. 

“Um hello? I guess your brain is still pretty scrambled.” Junhee smiled gently, getting up from where he was kneeling on the floor to retrieve some cotton bandages and a pot of warm water from next to the fire. “You gave me quite a scare.”

“You… saved me?” His accent sounded very strange. Further confirmation that he wasn’t from around here. 

“Well, I couldn’t just leave you out there. My name is Junhee, by the way.” 

“Donghun.” His eyes remained apparently fixed on Junhee.

“Well, Donghun, you hurt your leg somehow so I’d really like to take a better look at it and clean it up.”

“My leg? Oh, I fell.” Ah, Donghun wasn’t staring at Junhee after all. It was the basin of water water. 

“You fell? From what?” He raised a brow. 

“The mountain.” He still stared at the water, tired eyes fixed

Junhee was going to question what on earth he was doing up in he mountains but those questions could come later. “Do you want more water? I’ll fetch you some if you like.”

“Ye— I mean no. It’s ok.”

“Well let me know if you want anything. I don’t think you should try to get out of bed just yet.” He grabbed a cloth and dropped it into the water, bringing it over and pulling back the quilts and furs covering Donghun.

He froze instantly, forgetting that the stranger was naked underneath. “Oh sorry! I had to take off your clothes because they were wet.” He could feel his face burning as he quickly covered the man back up so that only his injured leg was exposed. He preyed Donghun wouldnt think he was some kind of pervert.

“Why are you sorry?” Donghun seemed completely unbothered about his nakedness. In fact, he was looking at Junhee like he was insane. 

“I didn’t mean to look at you naked.” He tried to focus on the task at hand, wringing the cloth out and was about to dab at the cut when—

“No!”

“What is it?” Junhee looked up, startled. 

“Don’t waste all that.” Donghun was looking at him even more like he was insane now. 

“Uh it isn’t a waste, you need this cleaned otherwise you’ll get sick. I added a little salt to it so you can’t really use it for anything else now, anyway. There’s plenty where this came from, don’t worry.”

Donghun looked unconvinced but nodded for him to continue. Why would e be so concerned about the water? The was a practically endless supply at their disposal.

As Junhee dabbed carefully at the laceration, he could tell it was deep but only went through the skin and muscle. It would heal as long as it was bound tightly and there was no infection. Surprisingly, Donghun didn’t flinch as Junhee prodded at the long cut, he was too busy staring at the pot of blood stained water with an oddly lamenting expression on his face. This guy was strange, the blonde had concluded. 

Once the laceration was cleaned, he wrapped the clean bandages around his leg. “It looks ok, we just need to keep it clean.” He tied off the cotton bandage, ensuring it was tight but not so tight it cut off the circulation. “You still haven’t said what you are doing out there.”

“I was trying to get somewhere.”

“Where?” 

Donghun shrugged. “Just somewhere.”

“…Right.” Junhee figured he wouldn’t be getting a straight answer out of Donghun. “Anyway, let me get you some food and another jug of water.” He stood and replaced the blankets over the others leg and carried the bowl of used water through into the kitchen to pour outside the window. 

There was a pot of stew still hanging over the fire in the kitchen, containing the last of his food supplies. He really could have done with catching a hare or two yesterday. His empty stomach growled at him for attention. But Donghun needed it more than he did. So, he scooped the last of it out into a bowl and picked up another jug of water from beside the window, bringing them back through to his guest. 

“Here, you need to eat. You look starved.” He held out the small bowl of stew for him to take. “It isn’t much but if you eat too much while your stomach is so empty, you’ll probably just vomit.” He set the water down near the bed within Donghun’s reach. 

Donghun looked conflicted at first as he took the bowl, peering into it. “Thank you.” His first mouthful was cautious, like he didn’t trust it. “Thank you.” He repeated before he practically inhaled the rest of the stew and gulped down the water. 

“Hey slow down or don’t complain when you have a stomach ache!” Junhee scolded. 

Donghun blinked at him, suddenly looking remorseful. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t drink all your water and eat all your food.” He held out the bowl to him, only about a spoonful left.

“It’s fine. I’m not hungry.” The blonde lied. 

“Then drink.” Donghun offered the jug of water too. 

“It’s fine. Like I said, there’s plenty where that came from.”

A bemused frown came across the strange young man’s soft features again, slowly consuming the last mouthful of the stew. 

Junhee look at him for a short while as he finished eating. “You aren’t from around here, are you?”

“…No…”

“Are you mountain folk?”

“No.” Donghun shook his head. 

“Then where are your from? Your clothes were nothing like what they wear in the Eastern Empire or the islands in the far south.”

Donghun looked down into the empty bowl. “I’m scared you’ll throw me out or kill me if I tell you.”

“I’m not going to do that, Donghun.” Where could he possibly be from that would make him so afraid to tell him?

There was a long pause. “…I’m from west of here.”

“But that’s just the mountains.” Junhee raised a brow. “You said you aren’t one of the mountain folk.”

“More west than that.”

That didn’t make any sense. There weren’t any kingdoms to the west. “There’s nothing further west, though. Just the Deadland.” 

“Dead… land?” Donghun cocked his head, his puppy eyes widening a little. 

“Yeah.”

“You call it the Deadland?” Donghun chewed at his chapped lower lip. “Dead.” He repeated the word in a quieter voice. 

“Uh yes? What do you call it?”

“...Home.” He looked so sorrowful. 

“But… you can’t be from there. There aren’t people there anymore. They all perished a long time ago.”

Donghun looked up and met his eyes. Junhee could see the shine of tears starting to gather. “Not all of us. Not yet.”

“But… I thought nothing grows there. They say there’s no water. How do you live?” Junhee questioned. It seemed impossible but it would explain the stranger’s clothes and the half starved state he was in. But he’d always believed that the Deadland was empty, that it’s people had been cut off from the rest of the world by decree of their greedy king wanting to keep the wealth for himself. It was a tale told to all children as an example of why greed was bad. They said the people died because there was more gold and treasures than food. You can’t eat treasure, after all. They said the king watched his people drown in the sand and that he was buried by it along with his mountains of gold. 

“We barely live. There is only the city surrounding the palace left. Our wells run drier by the day and new ones are hard to find. The livestock are parched and sick, just like the people. The city walls have been falling for generations. Even the cacti are withering away. There is nothing… maybe Deadland is a fitting name for it. I left there to live. I passed many bones poking out of the sands, remains of the nomads and people who have tried to cross before me. The Wastes mean death for many who wander out into them.”

“So how did you survive? Why would you even take the risk if it’s so dangerous to come here?”

“Because I’d rather die in The Wastes than become dust within the city walls. I can’t accept that fate. I was lucky, my land kite caught good winds off a dust storm. I made good ground before I had to abandon it. When I reached the mountains I found food and water. I was able to pass through them but I didn’t expect it to be so hard. I didn’t expect the cold white sand.”

“White sand…?” The blonde wondered out loud. “You mean snow?”

“I don’t know. Is that what it’s called?”

Junhee still wasn’t sure if he should believe him but it certainly seemed plausible. Why else would he have been out there like that? And it would be a ridiculous story to try and make up. “Yeah… guess you don’t get snow out there, huh?” But if he was from there, how did he speak his language? Or had the separation of the kingdoms happened after the unification of the common languages? “Look, get some rest for now. Ok? I’m gonna go to the apothecary to get something for you leg. You’ll be ok here, right?”

“Yes.”

“I won’t be long. It isn’t far to go to the town.” He reassured the young man currently occupying his bed as he took his leave from the room and donned his thick wool coat, cloak and sturdy boots. 

. . . 

Junhee made his way along the short walk into the middle of the small town. It only took about thirty minutes for him to get there through the trodden snow. There hadn’t been any fresh snowfall for a couple of days, making it far easier to walk through than when it was newly fallen and powdery. 

On his way, he decided with himself it would probably best not to mention the exotic stranger who claimed to be from the Deadland. He wouldn’t want to draw any attention, especially while the young man was still so sick and frail. 

The brass bell above the heavy pine door of the apothecary dinged as he entered, the familiar medicinal smell of angelica root, smoke and white sage greeting him immediately. 

“Evening, Sir.” The apothecary, a kindly elderly man, danced up from the broad-leaved dock he was crushing in a pestle and mortar. 

“Good evening.” Junhee looked around around “Do you have anything to help ward infection off from a fairly deep cut to a leg?”

“Of course.” The old man set aside the pestle and mortar and rummaged around behind the counter. “This salve should help but it will sting. Does the injury continuously bleed?”

“No, it’s a couple of days old. I was going to soak the bandages in vinegar tonight, should I still do that with this stuff?”

“Yes, I suggest soaking the bandages in white vinegar at night and use fresh, dry ones in the daytime with this salve applied. You won’t need to use much.”

“Could I have a bottle of white vinegar and some more bandages, too? I don’t have much at home.”

The man pottered around, gathering a glass bottle of vinegar and a roll of cotton bandages. Junhee thought about the redness which looked like mild burns. He’d noticed some of Donghun’s skin peeling, too. It must have been from the sun. He’d had it himself on his cheeks during one of the rare times the sun was bright and he’d been out for most of the day.

“Do you have something for a burn from the light?”

“We haven’t had sun in weeks.”

“I want to be prepared, my instinct says the clouds are gonna dissipate soon.” Junhee reasoned. 

“Ah, and you’re a huntsman, aren’t you? I’ve seen you around the market. I suppose it’s good to be prepared when you spend a lot of time outside.” He picked up a bottle of ointment. “Witch hazel. It’ll soothe the skin.”

“Thank you. How much will it all be?”

“Seven copper coins or if you would rather, you can bring me a plump hare from the forest since you’re a hunter.”

It was a good deal, a good hare was probably only worth about five coper coins to him and he was low on money. “One plump hare it is, then.” He smiled, accepting the goods. But before he was about to leave, he remembered something he should probably get. “Oh, if I deliver it skinned with it’s fur ready to be sewn, would it be worth some bundles of sage?” 

“Ah of course, take three.” The old man gestured to the bundles of dried white sage laying in a basket by the door.

“Thank you!” He took three bundles on his way out. He couldn’t be too careful, after all. A foreign stranger could bring him bad luck and that was something he couldn’t afford. Better safe than sorry. 

On his way back through the town, he stopped by the bakers and bought their last small loaf, his stomach having been empty since yesterday.

When he returned home, Donghun was fast asleep again. He looked so peaceful laying there, eyes closed and whips of hair poking out messily in random directions. Junhee set about lighting the oil lamps around the place, darkness was falling quickly and he should really get to work washing the old bandages and Donghun’s clothes. 

But first, he threw a bundle or sage on each other the two fires and saved one for another time. It would probably be more than enough to ward off any misfortune he might have invited in. 

Junhee only woke the sleeping man when he was done with everything and was ready with the vinegar soaked bandages. Tentatively, he prodded Donghun awake. “Hey, I’m going to change these bandages again. This might sting, it’s white vinegar sorry.”

“White vinegar?” Donghun squinted at him sleepily. 

“It’s this stuff.” He held up the glass bottle. “It’s to help you heal but t’ll hurt. I’m sorry.” Junhee clarified. 

Donghun pulled the covers back to expose his injured leg. “It’ll hurt a lot?”

“Yeah. It kinda burns. It’s for the best, I promise.”

The way Donghun gasped and grit his teeth as he tried to hold in a whimper or maybe even a scream when the vinegar seeped into his cut made Junhee wince and his chest twinge. Even mores when the young man passed out, body going limp again from pain and exhaustion. 

Junhee took the opportunity to clean the wound well while he was unconscious. At least he couldn’t feel the pain then and there was some debris and dirt well imbedded into it. Even though it was for the best, it still made Junhee feel cruel. 

“Donghun?” He shook him gently again and the young man groaned in response. “I’ll get you sitting up in a moment, I have some stuff for your shoulders and arms but ‘m going to dab it on your cheeks first.” 

Donghun just nodded, eyes remaining closed and heavy.

“Then how bout some more food?”

Donghun opened his eyes to that.

“Ah, that got your attention!” Junhee laughed lightly. 

“You have a nice smile.” 

“Oh. Thank you?” He tossed the used bandages into the water he’d used for laundry before, feeling a blush bloom over his face. “I washed your clothes, by the way. Should be dry by morning.” 

“Why are you taking care of me?”

“Because you need it.” He poured out some of the witch hazel onto a clean cloth. “This will sting, too. Sorry.” He apologised and brushed it over Donghun’s reddened cheeks. 

“I’m— ah! —nobody to you. I’m not even one of your people.” 

“But you’re in need of help.” He tugged the other’s slim body forward to get him to sit up, applying some of the witch hazel to the reddened areas.

“Thank you, Junhee. I owe you my life.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” Junhee let him lay back down. “I could only afford bread, sorry. I’ll go out hunting at dawn and then head down to the town.” He unwrapped the small loaf of bread and broke it in half. “And I’m putting you in the bath when I get back.”


	2. The Otherman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We don’t steal from each other.” Donghun’s gaze moved between Junhee’s pretty eyes and the hand on his knee. “But I guess you can’t steal when everyone has nothing.”
> 
> “You have all that jewellery, though.”
> 
> “Nobody would ever steal that. Why would they?” You can’t eat or drink gold and stones, after all. They only had value to their owner, they’d be meaningless to a thief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! :D I hope you enjoy!

Junhee wasn’t anything like how Donghun had expected. He wasn’t actually sure what he’d expected people from the Otherland be like. Then again, Junhee was the only one that he’d seen from this land. He couldn’t help but wonder if all Othermen had almost white hair and were so pale, he supposed they would be since their sun wasn’t like his. Junhee was unbelievably handsome, though. Not to mention he was incredibly kind and generous, contrary to what he’d always been told about Othermen. 

He’d been warned that Othermen would kill him and take his jewellery if they knew where he was from. He’d almost considered leaving it all behind where it would be safe, but couldn’t bare to part with it. The gold rings through his skin and the stones were a part of him, they had to come with him. He’d protect them with his life if he had to. 

Maybe he shouldn’t have told Junhee where he was from, it was a risk. But he owed the blonde man has life. He’d even shared so much of his water and food with him, insisting there was plenty. He didn’t believe the blonde man was evil enough to rob him of his most precious things. 

It was later in the day when Junhee retuned to the house. He’d said he was going hunting and to visit the town, leaving Donghun with the last of the bread and another jug of water. He felt bad for being such a burden on him and so had spent his time alone wondering how he could repay his kindness. 

“Good news, I had a pretty lucky hunt so managed to do some good deals in the market. I’ll start a stew while you’re taking a bath.” The blonde announced, shrugging off his thick outer layer of clothing and laying it over a chair in the corner of the room. 

Bath. He’d mentioned that last night but Donghun wasn’t sure what it had meant. “What does bath mean?”

“A bath. To clean you up properly.” Junhee handed him his shirt. The one he’d been wearing on his journey, it was washed and neatly folded. “It’s dry now so you can cover yourself up with it. I’m afraid you’ll have to bathe in the kitchen because it’s too much water to carry through here.”

Again with the water. Maybe Junhee was some sort of nobleman. Perhaps that was why his home was so sturdy and why he had food to spare, too. That would make sense. He knew food and water were supposed to be more bountiful here but this was just ridiculous. 

Donghun took his shirt back and sat himself up carefully, shoulders stinging with the sunburn as he moved. He shivered from the cold as he pulled the thin garment on, grimacing as it rubbed over his reddened skin. 

The blonde came to stand at the bedside and offered out his hands to him. “Alright, now try to stand. I’ll help you.”

Donghun’s body felt shaky and he ached all over from head to toe, but he managed to haul himself up by leaning some of his weight on Junhee. The shirt was long enough that it came down to his mid-thighs but did absolutely nothing to keep him warm. His clothes weren’t designed for warmth, it was the opposite in fact. They had to be breathable and loose but also cover him from the sun and sand. 

“Don’t worry, I know it’s cold but I’ll swaddle you up in the kitchen.” Junhee smiled kindly and helped Donghun walk out into the other room. His leg hurt, but it wasn’t too bad. He’d been walking on it for days over difficult terrain, so this was nothing by comparison. There was a new pain in his toes and fingers, though. 

It wasn’t as dark in this other room, there was a window so it didn’t rely on the light from the constantly burning fire or the oil lamps. The room was slightly bigger than the other and had a table and two chairs towards the back of it, the table was covered with various things he didn’t recognise but could guess they were food items. There was a slightly bigger stone fireplace, this one with a large pot hanging over the flames and smaller pots hanging on the wall above. 

“Here, sit.” Junhee grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it closer to the fire before wrapping a thick quilt around him tightly and sat him down. “You should warm up nicely. I guess you’re not used to this climate yet.”

“My fingers and toes hurt a lot.” It was wried because he didn’t remember injuring his hands or his feet at all. 

Junhee looked closer at his feet, looking at how his toes were reddened like his fingers. “Hmm…” He frowned a little. “You have chilblains, it’s caused by the cold. Don’t worry it isn’t frostbite, otherwise they’d be turning black. You’re really lucky after being out there like that.” He lay a fur pelt over Donghun’s feet. “We’ll get them good and warm now otherwise it’ll hurt like hell when you get into the warm water.” He peered at Donghun’s ears for a moment. “You have it on your earlobes, too. Probably because of the piercings. Do your ears hurt much?”

Donghun nodded. “They do, actually. They’re itchy, too.” 

“They don’t look too bad but you might get some blistering.” 

Donghun jus nodded. He’d been worried about not being able to communicate with the Othermen but his concerns seemed unfounded. Sure, there were some words Junhee used which he wasn’t familiar with and his accent was a little difficult to understand at times, but he understood more than enough. The kingdoms had separated not long after the attempt to unify the languages across the land. The people from his homeland had been basically forced to stop speaking their mother tongue during that time. These days, their native language had been reclaimed through separation but with a lack of a good writing system, the few books that were available were written in the unified language. There were still some people who spoke both interchangeably, teaching it to their children in case they one day were able to escape their home. 

His dad would have been proud of him for safely making it all the way across The Wastes. So would his mother and siblings. His mind wandered to Yuchan, who he’d left behind. If only he was able to somehow let the younger know he’d made it and was safe. 

Junhee opened the door to the outside, allowing an icy cold wind to gust through as he dragged inside a large tin basin, just about large enough for a person to sit in. He pushed it in front of the fire and closed the door. “This is a bath.” He pointed to the thing. “The water is boiling but by the time I melt more snow and pour another load of hot water in, it’ll be a comfortable temperature.”

Donghun watched curiously as the blonde tipped the water from the huge pot hanging above the flames. “You’ll fill that whole thing with water? Just to wash in?” Surely that couldn't be right. He must be misunderstanding something. 

“Well not entirely full but about half of it.”

Where was he even getting it all from? Did he have his own well outside or something? “But you’ll run out and won’t have anything to drink!” 

“Snow is made of water and it’s everywhere, you saw it yourself.” Junhee was looking at him strangely now. 

“Wait. That snow stuff is made from water?” So he could have drank it? 

Junhee smiled softly and laughed a little, reaching out to ruffle his untamed hair. “What did you think it was made of?”

Donghun just shrugged and watched as Junhee gathered a bucket of snow from outside and added it to the pot. 

“It melts into water. See?” The blonde pointed into the pot.

He stood a little to see the snow disappearing. He’d wondered why the stuff had made his clothes so wet but he wasn’t about to test out any theories by putting an unfamiliar substance in his mouth. For all he knew it could have been poisonous. Still, he felt a little stupid.

“So I was meaning to ask, do you not have your own language? How can you speak like this?” Junhee asked, gathering more snow from outside in a bucket and adding it in. 

“We do, but some of us know how to speak the unified language, too. My parents wanted me to be able to read, so I needed to learn. We don’t really have a good way of writing, it’s very basic.” His father had also been hopeful that life would return to The Wastes and they’d be able to cross them. 

“There are people who live out on the tundras who still speak the old northern language. I only know the very basics, myself. People in the cities probably forgot it ever existed.” Another bucket of snow went in and then another. 

The stinging in Donghun’s hands and feet had subsided as they warmed, giving way to an irritating itchiness. Chilblains, not frostbite. Apparently he was lucky it wasn’t frostbite, whatever that was. It was a string of luck that got him here in the first place, anyway. His mother always told him he had luck on his side, maybe she’d been right. 

Donghun peered around him, still impressed by the home. “Are you some kind of nobleman?”

“Nobleman? Me?” Junhee laughed loudly and suddenly. “Of course I’m not! Why would you think that?”

“Because you have this sturdy home and food to spare for a stranger.” Donghun blinked. 

“I’m far from a nobleman. If I can’t hunt, I can’t eat. The town isn’t a poor one, though. We’re pretty self-sustaining because of the lake and because the forest and rivers aren’t poisoned by the silver mines further east of here.”

Forest? Lake? River? All completely unfamiliar words to him. “The Otherland is really big, right?” He’d remembered seeing a map of the other nations in an old book once.

“Otherland? That’s what you call this place? Yeah, its the biggest nation but a lot of it is unpopulated.”

“Yeah. Then there’s the Farlands. I don’t know much about them. They’re further east.”

“You just mean the Eastern Empire. Our king is engaged the Emperor’s second born. Out of curiosity, what else do you know about this land?” Junhee knelt down in front of him, taking his leg and inspecting the bandage. “I’ll change this after your bath.”

Donghun bit his lower lip, the things said about the Otherland and it’s people generally weren’t good. “That there’s no sun. That it never gets warm. That there are thieves everywhere and that’s why the land is so rich, everything is stolen.”

“There’s a sun, it’s just behind the clouds. We aren’t all thieves, either. You get pickpockets in the cities I’m sure but we don’t all steal. We trade with other nations and towns but we don’t just take things.”

“I don’t believe it, anyway. You could have stolen my jewellery if you wanted to but you didn’t.” Junhee was still knelt in front of him, a calloused but delicate hand resting on his knee.

“Any society has people who will steal your gold. But most people wouldn’t. Don’t worry.”

“We don’t steal from each other back home.” Donghun’s gaze moved between Junhee’s pretty eyes and the hand on his knee. “But I guess you can’t steal anything when everyone has nothing.”

“You have all that jewellery, though.” Junhee pointed out. 

“Nobody would ever steal that. Why would they?” You can’t eat or drink gold and stones, after all. They only had value to their owner, they’d be meaningless to a thief. 

“Well like I said, you don't have to worry about me taking anything from you.”

“You have small hands.” Donghun said suddenly, laying his own on top of Junhee’s. It must have caught the blonde by surprise because he heard his breath hitch. 

“They aren’t small, you just have big hands.” Junhee rushed out, taking his hand back and standing to check the water in the pot, cheeks reddening. 

“You’re blushing.” Donghun beamed. “Are you embarrassed?”

“No!” 

“Hmmm I don’t believe that.” He teased. He’d wanted to reach out and touch his face, curious as to what such milky skin felt like. There was no getting away from how strikingly pretty Junhee was, and watching him squirm was too much fun to resist. If he were at home, he’d have been more bold. That probably wasn’t appropriate in this situation, though. Not that he was in any fit state to get up to any action right now, anyway.

“Believe what you want.” Junhee tipped the hot water out of the pot and into the tin bath, obviously still flustered. “Step in with your bad leg first and I’ll help you.” 

Donghun stood slowly, letting the quilt fall away from himself. Taking Junhee’s hand, he eased his bad leg in first, arms wrapped around Junhee’s shoulders as he steadily sat down into the warm water, sighing in contentment at the warmth around him after the initial pain in his fingers and toes had subsided.

“How is it?”

“Feels so good.” Donghun’s eyes fluttered closed, practically purring. The warm water soothed his aching muscles nicely.

“Wash yourself with this while I do some cooking.” Junhee handed him a flowery smelling slippery block of— something.

“What is it?” Donghun sniffed it. 

“It’s soap. Wow, no wonder you’re so dirty.” Junhee laughed. 

Donghun had never felt embarrassed about his cleanliness until that moment. A touch of shame creeping into the corners of his mind. Was he that unclean? 

He took the soap and started rubbing it over his arms, pulling the wet sleeves of the shirt up while Junhee grabbed the things from the table. Donghun watched him from the corner of his eye. 

“You got all that today?”

“Yeah, I caught five hares this morning so got a good amount in the market for them.”

“Hairs?” Donghun automatically touched his own hair, unconsciously pouting in confusion.

Junhee cracked another toothy smile. “No, not that kind of hair. Hare as in the animal. They’re small but easy for me to carry back. I traded them all because I get a bit bored of eating them all the time. I got some grain, a few bunches of nettles, potatoes, two eels and some deer meat.” He had begun filling the black pot with water from a large jug and began adding the food into it. “The stew can sit in here for a few days, I’ll add more things to it when I have them. I was thinking I’ll cook the eels after you’re all nice and clean.” He went to a basket by the door and tilted it so Donghun could see inside. It contained things which looked like weird snakes without scales. Maybe that’s what snakes looked like here. 

Donghun didn’t care what Otherland snakes looked like, he loved snake meat. So, he went back to cleaning himself as best he could but the shirt was rubbing on his sunburn uncomfortably. The thing made it difficult to wash properly, too. It just seemed counterproductive to wash with clothes on. So, he unfastened the garment and eased it off, draping it over the side of the bath. 

Junhee had been busy adding the meat to the pot when he turned around and instantly covered his eyes. “Oh god, sorry! I didn’t know you were naked. I’d have left the room.”

“Why would you leave the room?” Was Junhee repulsed by him? Or scared of him? Did he look different to how Othermen looked under their layers of clothes? He’d heard rumours about Othermen having damp wrinkly skin or even scales before. Who knows what Junhee looked like uncovered. Maybe Donghun looked weird to him.

“Because you’re naked! Aren’t you worried about me seeing you like this?”

“No? Why would I be? It’s just my body. You already saw it, anyway.” Donghun frowned, wondering if he should be feeling self conscious. “Are you disgusted?”

“No! Not at all. You probably just don't want someone looking at you like this, right?”

“But I don’t care if you see me. Are all Othermen shy about people’s bodies? Is that why you cover up so much? Or is it just mine you don’t want to see?”“Usually only lovers see each other naked.” 

“That’s really weird.” 

“J-Just wash up. D-Do you need help with your hair?” Even his neck was burning red now. 

“Yes please. My fingers are still kinda sore.” He had Junhee flustered again. It was adorable, honestly. He wanted to reach out and share the warmth of his skin, already feeling a friendship between them. Touching people you were close to was normal for him, but Junhee didn’t seem to reach out and touch him unless it was necessary. He was probably still cautious around Donghun and he couldn’t really blame him for that.

Junhee rolled up his sleeves and took the soap. The skin on his arms was just as pale and Donghun couldn’t see any tattoos, how strange. But he didn’t comment on it, he simply allowed the other to rub soap through his hair and begin to try and comb it out. He’d found the feeling of having the soap and water massaged through his hair rather relaxing. 

Then came the painful pulling of the comb. 

“Ow!” 

“Your hair is so tangled. Stay still, will you? If you can handle me cleaning the cut on your leg, you can handle me getting the knots out your hair.” Junhee scolded. 

“Feels like you’re pulling my hair out!”

“Don’t be a baby. I’m almost done.” Junhee continued to comb through his hair and rubbed more soap through it before combing it again. “Tip your head back.”

Donghun obeyed, tipping his head back for Junhee to wash the soap out. He was expecting warm water but this time it was cold water remaining from the jug he’d used before, causing him to yelp in surprise. “Yah!”

“Sorry, the bath water is so filthy I’d just be putting the dirt back into your hair.”

For some reason Donghun felt a little spike move through his chest. “You’d be unclean too if you risked your life travelling through miles and miles of desert and almost died dragging yourself through the mountains.” He snapped a little, feeling shamed about his physical state. Small tears gathered at the line of his eyelashes. 

“I…” Junhee looked surprised. “I’m sorry, Donghun. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“It’s ok… But please understand we don’t have precious water to spare to do this. I clean myself, just not like this.”

“Sorry if I was insensitive.” The blonde reached for a small bottle of oil. “This is flax and lavender oil, it’ll keep your hair soft and it smells really good. I think it’ll be good for your curls.” 

“You say you’re not rich but you own something that just makes your hair soft and nice smelling?”

“You won’t be mocking me when you realise how easy your hair is to comb after this.”“I don’t comb it.”

“I was gonna ask if you wanted to come out to the town in a couple of days but you aren’t coming out there with me if your hair is like a bird’s nest.”

“Fine.” Donghun pouted, folding his arms across his chest and allowing Junhee to work a small amount of the oil through his hair, fingertips feeling good against his scalp.

. . . 

After he was thoroughly clean and dressed in some of Junhee’s clothes, he sat watching the blonde bent over the fire, cooking the snake— eels. Cooking the eels on sticks. He’d gutted them and cut the heads and tails off to drain the blood, explaining that the blood was poisonous. 

“Junhee?”

“Hm?” 

“You said usually only lovers see each other naked, right?” A strange notion in Donghun’s eyes for sure. 

“Yeah…?” The young man said cautiously, coming to sit with him and handing him one of the eels. “Be careful about any bones.”

“Do you have a lover?”

“No but I’ve never really been interested in having one.” Junhee shifted a little uncomfortably. 

Donghun was about to say something else but was distracted by the unexpected taste of the eel when he took a bite. “This snake tastes weird. Not bad weird, but weird.”

“Snake? I don’t know what you mean. It’s an eel.”

“I think eel is your word for sake because this looks a lot like a sake. They usually don't taste like this.” Donghun explained. 

“Uh well this tastes like a pretty standard eel to me.”

“Maybe snakes here just taste different as well as looking different.” He shrugged, taking another bite. 

“Eels live in water so I doubt they’re the same as whatever you’re thinking of.”

“Snakes that live in water?” How would they breathe if they lived in water? This country was a weird place. The sna— eel was pretty good, though. It had a different texture than the snake he was used to and had a saltiness to it. The bones were smaller, too. It was completely different, actually. But pretty good.

They ate together in reasonable silence until Donghun suddenly realised something. There seemed to be only two rooms and so that must mean Donghun had been sleeping in the only bed. So where was Junhee sleeping? “Is there another room?” He asked. 

“Hm? No, just this room and the bedroom.” Junhee didn't look up, just picking the last bits of eel from the bones on the table. 

“Then where have you been sleeping?”

“I put blankets down by the kitchen fire.”

He’d given up his bed for him? It must have been cold sleeping out here where the door was. “I don’t want to take your bed. I’ll sleep on the floor!” He was used to sleeping on the ground, anyway.

“No you won’t, the floor is dirty and you have an open wound on your leg.” Junhee said firmly. 

“The bed is big enough for us both, then. Right? Or will that make you blush as much as my bare body does?” 

“Don’t say things like that!”

“I like to make you blush. It’s cute.”

“I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I picked you up out of the snow.” Junhee rolled his eyes and turned his head, trying to hide his smile away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay that’s chapter 2 up already! 
> 
> Come say hi on instagram if you like. Search up IntrovertWanders :D I also now have a twitter account I can link to my AO3 because it doesn’t have my face on it so come add me if you like! There’ll be updates about updates!   
> https://twitter.com/TheClamp2 
> 
> ______
> 
> **NEXT TIME:** Now that he’s comfortable around him, Donghun is a lot more handsy than Junhee is used to.   
> Donghun also sees the lake for the first time and can’t believe his eyes. 
> 
> —
> 
> _“Sorry.” He said breathlessly, withdrawing his hand as soon as he realised what he was doing._
> 
> _“It’s ok.” Donghun caught his small wrist and gently brought his hand back to his chest. “You can touch me.”_
> 
> _Junhee’s heart was in his throat._


	3. Ink and Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junhee is getting used to life with his new houseguest and getting rather attached. 
> 
> Over 6000 words for this Ch. Oops!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had hoped to get this up sooner but was having a bit of a breakdown with the stress at work and couldn’t sit down and focus! But now I’m off work so huzzah! Now is not a good time to work in healthcare!

Over the course of the days that passed since Junhee had acquired his houseguest, he’d learned a few key things about Donghun. One was that he was endlessly curious about things, he’d constantly ask questions about every little thing. Of course, Junhee didn’t mind answering his queries and he got to learn more about Donghun in return. 

Another was that he had a hell of an appetite. He’d eat anything Junhee put in front of him without complaint, even though it was all probably very different to what he was used to. Even when Junhee accidentally burned a bowl of oats cooked in milk and honey, he still ate it all without complaint, even finishing what the blonde couldn’t stomach.

He also discovered they were about the same age, though Donghun was probably slightly older. Apparently their calendars were a little different, so it was difficult to work out. Donghun’s land used a kind of lunar based calendar, only counting lunar months and not grouping them into years. It sounded like there were no changing seasons in the Deadland, so it probably just wasn’t necessary to keep track of the year for panting crops and whatnot. Apparently the count of months would simply reset after each cycle of 61545 months. Whereas Junhee was used to a 12 month, 365 day calendar.

Then there was the fact that whenever he was home, Donghun would want to put himself right next to him. Not only that, he’d also sometimes lean his head on Junhee’s shoulder, rest a hand on his thigh or touch his hair absently. It was a little jarring at first, but he got more comfortable with it over time. Maybe he even liked it. Not that he would ever admit that to himself, of course. 

Sharing the bed should have been straightforward, it was common for a family to have only one or two bedrooms and so sharing a bed wasn’t something completely foreign to him. He had been living alone for a number of years, though. So he could forgive himself for the slight awkwardness. 

Having Donghun’s arms find their way around him, on the other hand, was not something he’d prepared himself for,

“Uh what are you doing?” He’d asked once he remembered how to breathe again after an arm curled it’s way around his waist as he settled down to sleep. 

“Hmm?” 

“Don't do that, it’s weird.” He swatted Donghun’s arm away, feeling like some kind of blushing maiden. 

“Why is it weird?”

“Because— because it just is.” How could he even explain it?

“I was just trying to keep you warm…” 

Junhee couldn’t see Donghun’s face, but he was sure he looked like a sad wolf pup right now. It seemed he had a bit of a weakness for those eyes. He huffed, feeling kind of mean for rejecting the older since he’d only innocently been trying to share warmth. “Sorry… you can do it if you want…”

The final important thing he’d noticed about Donghun was that he seemed to be getting more and more restless as his leg healed, allowing him to move around more freely. He’d pace between the rooms and occupy himself more and more by fiddling with things. Sometimes those things included Junhee, his hair or his clothes. 

So, he figured it was probably time to take him out into the town. 

. . .

That morning, Junhee lay awake in bed for a short while. Donghun’s arm was draped over his waist as he lay on his back, looking up at the wooden rafters above. This had quickly become very normalised to him, but this time Junhee was very aware that his nightshirt had ridden up and the other’s bare arm was laying over the exposed skin of his abdomen. Skin to skin. 

The older shifted in his sleep, drawing his arm in a little and the palm of his large hand ending up coming to rest on Junhee’s bare stomach.

Ah, hello impure thoughts. 

No, this wasn’t the time or place for impure thoughts. It seemed that years of living alone had reverted him back to being a teenager, unable to control his mind with the slightest human contact. Donghun’s hand was so warm, though. And there was just something about how much of his abdomen it covered that made Junhee want to pull back the blankets and look at it. To see how that hand looked on his slender frame. 

He even made the mistake of turning his head to see the other’s sleeping face. Donghun was handsome, there was no way he could deny that. His eyes were peacefully closed and showing off how long his eyelashes were. The brunette also had such plush looking lips which Junhee struggled not to think about, lips which were currently slightly parted in his slumber. The gold and greenish blue of the jewellery in his earlobes and eyebrow looked so good against his tanned skin tone and warm toned brown hair. 

Enough of this. Enough of watching somebody sleep like a weirdo. When had he become such a pervert? At this rate he’d have to sleep with viburnum flowers under his pillow to keep his mind clean. Maybe he should gather some from the forest when he was out there next. Ah, but Donghun would no doubt ask what they were for and he didn’t really want to explain that. 

Forcing himself to roll out of bed, Junhee pulled the blanket which was draped over the chair around himself before gently nudging at Donghun’s shoulder. 

“Donghun? Hey, it’s time to get up.”

“Mmmhh…” Donghun groaned softly, curling in on himself and disappearing almost entirely under the blankets, only a few wisps of his messy hair remaining visible. 

“Come on, it’s already daylight.” 

“It’s too cold.” Came a muffled voice, croaky from sleep.

“Ok, wait here and I’ll get the fire burning so you can get dressed in front of it. We’ll get you wrapped up warm and then we’ll go out to the town.”

“The town?” Donghun’s head popped up from under the blankets, suddenly looking awake. He’d been asking when they’d go for a couple of days now.

“On one condition, you need to let me comb your hair. It looks like a bird’s nest.”

Donghun pouted his lips for a second before disappearing back under the blankets. 

Junhee smiled to himself and walked away to the fire back to life before gathering his clothes so he could dress in the kitchen, as usual. He didn’t bother lighting the fireplace in there, so he dressed quickly before he could freeze. 

To give Donghun a little more time in bed, he took his time heating some water over the oil lantern’s flame and making two cups of birch bark tea.

He watched the snow softly falling outside the window while waiting for the tea to cool to a drinkable temperature. Any doubts he’d previously had about Donghun being from the Deadland were long gone, leaving behind a concern about where the young man would go now he was here in this foreign place. He’d quite happily let Donghun stay here, afraid of what would become of him trying to make it alone in a completely unfamiliar land. Hell, it made a lot of practical sense too. He’d be able to help him bring back deer from the forest, hares were easy targets but didn’t bring in much money.

Making his way back into the bedroom, he set a cup of tea on the table next to the bed while taking a sip of his own. “You really do need to get out of bed now, Donghun.” He poked at the human-shaped mound under the blankets. “I made you some birch tea. It’s good for you.” 

Donghun sat up and took the cup from the table next to the bed, sniffing it before taking an experimental sip and pulling a strange face, obviously not expecting the mild bitterness. “Hm it’s not bad.”

“Drink it up and we’ll go. I thought we could grab breakfast from the market.” The blonde took a bundle of sage from a drawer and threw it onto the fire, not really thinking about the action.

“What are those things you sometimes add to the fire?”

“It’s white sage. It’s just in case any misfortune gets invited in…” Junhee trailed off. It wasn’t that he thought Donghun was a bad person or that he was a bad omen or anything. It was just a symptom of deeply ingrained superstition. Anyone would set some sage to burn if a stranger came to their home, you just don’t know what they could be bringing in with them. But maybe Donghun wasn’t really a stranger anymore.

“Why would misfortune come in?”

“Well… you came here as a stranger and you probably worship different gods where you’re from. It’s just a superstition. I doubt you’d bring any misfortune with you, really. We burn it if we have any visitors to our home, anyway. I was just being overly cautious.” He rushed out. “Please don’t be offended.” In fact, it was tradition to bring sage with you if you visited somebody. Maybe he was going a little overboard by throwing a bundle into the fires every morning. The gods must have been on Donghun’s side to not let him freeze to death in the snow, anyway. “It’s just a tradition. Even if you weren’t from a foreign land I would still do it.” Maybe not as much as this, though. Suddenly he felt like some kind of terrible person.

“I’m not offended. I just want to understand and learn your culture.”

Junhee thought maybe he should ask more questions, himself. He’d wanted to ask as many questions as Donghun did, but didn’t want to seem stupid or ignorant. “Drink your tea and I’ll find you some outdoor clothes to wear.”

. . .

The walk through the town to the lake took about three times longer with Donghun struggling to walk on ice and snow. Deep fresh snow was hard to walk through at the best of times, even if you were used to it. But Donghun only seemed to struggle because of his leg. It was healing well, but probably still painful. It was the ice which posed most of the problem. While most people would walk confidently, trusting in the grips on their boots and adjusting their centre of gravity naturally, Donghun was cautious and unsure in his steps. He held on to Junhee for support, gripping him tightly for fear of slipping and falling over. Between thing catching his eye and causing him to wander, of course, amazed by the sights and number of people wandering around. 

They earned a few glances and outright stares from passers by. Probably because a lot of people at least knew Junhee on some level and were aware that he lived alone out the edge of town and here he was with a handsome young man clinging on to him. Then there was the fact Donghun’s skin tone was so much more tanned than what people were used to seeing and people probably thought he was acting strangely. Junhee was just glad he’d pulled Donghun’s hat down far enough to cover his ears, all the gold and coloured beads would have drawn even more attention. Thankfully, his hair mostly obscured the piecing in his eyebrow, too.

Donghun stopped dead in his tracks when he laid eyes on the lake, breath caught in a gasp and eyes wide.

“This is the lake. We call it the Glass Lake. See all the flat ice? It’s all water underneath.” The lake was one of the largest in the region and not entirely frozen at this time of year, though large sheets of ice did float on the top, especially across the other side. There was more than still enough open water that it was easy for small fishing boats to go out. 

“I—… it’s… so big.” 

“Yeah, It’s really deep, too.”

“I… I’ve never… I have no words… not even in my own language. I never dreamed something like this was real… if Yuchan could see…” A few tears gathered in Donghun’s eyes. “It’s more water than I’ve ever seen in my life combined. It’s so beautiful, you’re so lucky to live here, how do you not come and look at it every day?”

“I guess I’m used to it being there.” Maybe he took it for granted.

“There’s a place just outside the city walls back home, it’s a huge flat area where we dig wells for water. They say it used to be all covered in water, so maybe at one time it looked like this…”

Junhee squeezed his hand. 

Donghun’s attention was suddenly taken by some fishermen emptying nets of fish into baskets. “What are those?” He gestured. 

“Those? They’re fish.”

In a flash, Donghun dragging Junhee along and making his way over to peer at the basket of fish. “They have scales and wings with no feathers! Where are their legs?” He reached out to grab one but Junhee steered him away with some strange looks from the fishermen.

“You can look at them at home, I’ll buy some on our way back.”

“What are they for?”

“They’re for eating.”

“Why don’t they have legs?” The older pressed, looking back behind them as the fishermen emptied more nets.

“They don’t need legs, they live in water like the eels so they swim.”

“How do they breathe if they’re in the water?”

“They have gills. They’re deferent to lungs, I’ll show you when we get some.” He continued leading Donghun along as the brunette got distracted and tried to wander off to peer at a stall selling bundles of heather. “Come along, you can’t stop to gawk at everything.” Junhee smiled, the other’s enthusiasm was almost contagious.

“It’s pretty. What’s it for?”

“It’s lucky heather.”“It’s lucky?”

“Do you want one?” Junhee figured he could spare a copper bronze coin. Even though Donghun seemed to have plenty of natural luck to still be alive. 

“Yes please. I’ll repay you, I promise.”

“Consider it a gift.” He handed a coin to the young woman at the stall and took a small bundle of heather, tucking it into the button hole of Donghun’s coat. “There.”

“Thank you, Junhee.” Donghun smiled. 

“Now follow me, we need to speak with the butcher to make a good deal because I’m counting on you being able to help me carry a deer back from the forest.” It had been a long time since he was able to hunt a good size deer, they were far too heavy for him to bring back on his own so he may as well take advantage of the extra pair of hands. The money he had wasn’t going to last him long with the amount of food Donghun ate. 

“Is a deer big? I’m pretty strong so— Oh what is that?” Donghun interrupted himself, pointing at a seal laying on the black sands at the edge of the lake. “Is that a fish, too?”

“No, it’s a seal. It lives on the land and in the lake. It needs to breathe air so it cant stay in the water all the time.”

“It’s so fat!”

“It needs to be fat to stay warm.” Junhee laughed, catching Donghun as he lost his footing on the ice.

The seal promptly flopped it’s way towards the water.

“It’s so cute! But do any of your animals have legs?”

“If you think that’s cute you should see the babies. As for the legs, you don’t need them if you predominantly live in water. Anything that lives in the first has legs, you’re lucky you didn’t encounter them because you’d probably be a nice snack to them.” Donghun’s naivety was adorable, he didn’t really mind that it took almost the whole day to run some basic errands. He’d taken to holding onto Donghun’s hand tightly because otherwise he’d turn around and the other would have wandered off like a curious child. 

He bought them bread and honey for breakfast, keeping the brunette occupied while he spoke with the butcher. Apparently Donghun had a sweet tooth as well as an appetite for literally anything else. Figures. 

. . .

That evening, Junhee sat on the ground in front of the fire in the kitchen with Donghun next to him and a blanket around them both. Donghun was busy staring at the flames and leaning against Junhee’s side, the sprigs of lucky heather tucked behind his ear delicately. All the while, the younger as busy grilling the fish over the embers and singing to himself. 

He didn’t even notice himself doing it. It was something he’d always done from time to time on especially cold nights when he was alone. The song was a folksong in the old northern dialect that his grandmother used to sing to him. He didn’t know the meaning of all the words, but he knew it off by heart. The soothing melody always making his mood feel warm and cosy. 

Lost in his own little world, Junhee didn’t realise for a few minutes that Donghun had started humming along to the tune he was singing, following the repeating melody.

“Here. Be careful with the bones.” Junhee set one of the fish on a tin plate in front of him, expecting him to practically inhale it, as he always did with food. 

But he didn’t. Donghun just kept looking into the fire, the tune he’d been humming along with Junhee morphing into something unfamiliar and a little haunting in it’s nature. 

“Helloooo? Food is ready.” He tapped the other man’s knee.

“Hm? Oh, thank you.” The older said slowly, taking a small bite.

“Are you ok? Since when do you not eat? Are you sick?” Suddenly he was worried, Donghun’s injury had been healing really well but what if it had caused his blood to become poisoned or something? Was he dying? 

“Sorry. I was just thinking.” He took another bite. “Thank you for the fish.”

“Thinking about what?”

“I’m sat here, having not been hungry for days. I’ve drank water even when I haven’t felt thirsty. Meanwhile, my people still waste away. Yuchan probably thinks I’m dead. He’s probably built a burial mound in my name. I won’t ever see him again so to him I probably am as good as dead, anyway.”

“Hey… it must be hard to be away from everyone.” He placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. “Who’s Yuchan? You mentioned that name before.”

“He’s my friend. More like a younger brother, actually. I don’t really have anyone else.” Donghun looked down at the floor, waves of hair falling over his eyes. “I shouldn’t have left him behind but it would have been too dangerous. I honestly didn’t expect to make it. I don’t even really know what I’ll do now that I’m here.” 

Junhee was about to ask about his family but decided against it before the words could leave his lips. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.” 

“I don’t want to take from you more than I already have.”

“Where would you go if you left? Like you said, you don’t even know what you’ll do. I wouldn’t just throw you out with nowhere to go.”

“Then I’ll earn my keep.”

“It’s honestly nice to just have company.” Because as much as he was far too stubborn to admit it… Junhee was lonely.

Donghun leaned his head on Junhee's shoulder again. “Then I’ll keep you company, Junhee.”

________________  
________________

A further week had passed and Donghun had visited the town and market with him a few more times. Junhee wanted to get him more accustomed to it before taking him out hunting, he had to be more sure on his feet on ice and snow, though he was managing the deeper snow very well by now. He’d said it was a lot like walking in the dunes, which he’d explained as being like big hills made of sand which constantly change as the sand is shifted around by the wind. Junhee found that pretty hard to picture in his mind’s eye, but he took his word for it. 

Feeding two people was becoming difficult. He was having to go out and hunt hares every day by this point. He hadn’t been lucky enough to come across any boar in the forest, only deer he didn’t have the capacity to haul back to town.

So, now was the time to take Donghun out with him. 

Junhee was sat on a large animal hide laid out on the floor beside the fire. He was too engrossed in the task of making a set of robust new arrows to notice Donghun standing and watching him from the doorframe.

“What are you doing?” 

Junhee looked up to see Donghun standing there wrapped up in the thick quilted blanket from the bed. “Oh uh…. I’m making some new arrows.” He reached and pulled an arrow from his quiver. “These. Do you use bows and arrows in your home?”

“No.” Donghun took the arrow and inspected it closely. “It’s a weapon, right? You take them with you when you hunt.” He pointed at the bow propped up by the door. “With that.”

“Yeah, but I prefer to call it a tool rather than a weapon. That other part is the bow.” It wasn’t a weapon to him, it was a tool which allowed him to be able to eat and afford a roof over his head.

“How does it work?”

“The arrow gets propelled at a target using the bow. The kind I use is called a recurve bow, it’s more accurate and powerful than a longbow. I can show you when we go out to the forest, but not in here because it’s dangerous.” Junhee watched as the other placed the arrow carefully back into the quiver before sitting on the floor opposite him, holding his hands out closer to the fire to warm up.

“Can I watch you work?”

“If you like. Just sit a little further back from me, little sharp bits can fly off while I’m knapping the flint.”

Donghun scooted back a little, the movement causing the quilt to slip from his shoulder with the nightshirt he wore while indoors, providing a brief view of his collarbone and an unwelcome flashback to the ring through his nipple. 

“So uh, this is called flint. You can make arrowheads from bronze or even from working iron but I don’t really like to use metal, that’s more for soldiers who need to pierce armour. It makes the arrow fly differently because it’s heavier, too. At least flint is cheap and I can make the arrowheads myself.” It was something Junhee had done his whole life, the skills had become second nature to him. He handed Donghun a chunk of flint to look at. “I strike it with this piece of antler, using the broader end to knock pieces off and then the pointed end and hammer to more finely shape it.” He held up the piece of antler, one end tapered and the other wide and blunt. “People in the cities probably think this is rudimentary, but it does the job well.”

Donghun turned the piece of stone over in his hands a few times and observed as Junhee demonstrated, striking off a good piece.

The blonde picked the piece up, being careful with the razor sharp edge. “When you break off pieces of flint it fractures with a naturally sharp edge, you can even make knives out of it.” 

“You must be very skilled.”

“Just gotta get used to the correct angle and force to be able to shape it correctly. I’ve been doing it my whole life.” He set the piece down on bronze block covered in a hard leather and began steadily chipping away at it with the pointed end of the antler and a small hammer. 

“Can I help?”

“Actually you can. See those arrow shafts?” The blonde motioned to a pile straight wooden rods just behind Donghun. “There’s a serrated blade there, too. If you could cut a small slit into both ends of them that would be great. Just make one deeper than the other.” One notch will be the nock where the bowstring would sit and the other will be for the arrowhead. He passed over a complete arrow for reference. “See this part? Like that so the arrowhead can fit into it. The other end is for the string of the bow to fit into when I draw back on it.” 

Donghun grabbed the arrow shafts and the knife, handling the blade confidently. “I can do that, no problem. I’m good with this kind of thing.”

It turned out that Donghun was pretty skilled with a knife. He only split the first arrow he tried too far and fractured it. The others which followed were done pretty much perfectly. Most people would split the wood every other attempt when they were first starting out. Junhee even showed him how to prepare the feathers to make the fletch for the tail of the arrow. Donghun was a fast learner and skilled with his hands, he even required very little direction with binding the pieces together with sinew fibres. 

“You’re good at that.” Junhee was impressed, to say the least.

“It’s the same technique to bind a blade to a handle and for repairing parts of a land kite.” The brunette replied, not looking up from the arrow he was assembling. 

“Transferable skills, I suppose.”

“I can make you baskets like the ones you store things in, too. I want to be useful to you. I’ll do anything else you want. I know you said I didn’t owe you but you saved my life and I’ve been a drain on your resources.” 

“Well, you’re coming hunting with me tomorrow for a good size deer. We’ll be well fed from the money the butcher will pay us for that.”

Donghun’s face lit up at that. “Tomorrow? I was scared about going to the forest again but I’ll feel safe with you. I’m excited, actually.”

“Why would you have been scared?”

“Because the last time I was there I thought I was going to die. But I didn’t, thanks to you.” The older explained, placing a hand on Junhee’s thigh. “I like going out with you, anyway. No matter where.” He gave such a genuine, warm smile, that it even made Junhee’s chest feel like it was glowing.

“Come on, let’s go to bed. We have to get up before dawn.” He reluctantly pushed himself to his feet. “You go ahead, I’ll tidy this stuff up and join you soon.”

Donghun nodded, getting up and heading into the bedroom, pulling the blanket tightly around himself as he went.

Once the finished arrows were placed in his quiver, and the spares put away safely, Junhee made sure to sweep the floor clean of any sharp bits of flint that may not have been caught by the hide he’d sat on. Wouldn’t want to step on one of those, he knew that from regrettable experience. He’d have felt especially bad if Donghun stepped on one and got hurt, so he spent extra time making triple sure all the pieces were gone. 

Finally, he extinguished the lamps and the fire and made his way into the bedroom. Only to realise that he had neglected to get changed in the kitchen. He sighed in annoyance, he’d have to re-light one of the lamps now.

He looked over to Donghun, fast asleep in the bed. 

Screw it. Donghun was asleep. He could quickly get dressed in here and the older would be none the wiser. 

Laziness winning out, Junhee quickly turned his back to the sleeping form on he bed and began getting changed into his night clothes. He got as far as changing into the soft, brushed cotton trousers and had reached to pick up his nightshirt when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Yah!” He whipped around, almost jumping out of his own skin in shock. 

He was met with Donghun’s face, a mix of puzzled and amused. “Did I scare you, Junhee?”

“Yes! What the hell are you dong? Were you awake all he time?” 

“No, I just woke up and saw you naked and wanted to take a better look.”

Junhee spluttered over his words and the other’s sheer forwardness, arms coming up to protect his modesty. “Why the hell are you so desperate to see me naked?”

“Because I’m curious. I’m wondering why you’re so shy.”

The blonde turned his back to Donghun, feeling exposed in his shirtless state. But even with his back to him, he could feel Donghun’s eyes on him, making him shiver and swallow a lump in his throat. 

“Why hide?” Donghun’s voice was soft and low like honey. 

Junhee felt dizzy, his heart hammering wildly in his chest when he felt warm hands place themselves on his waist. He had to remind himself that the older clearly had an entirely different concept of boundaries. There wouldn’t be any romantic intentions involved.

“Do you not think you’re beautiful? Is that it?” Donghun asked. 

The younger had been completely robbed of his breath. 

“Please will you turn around so I can see how beautiful you are?”

Junhee didn’t know what possessed him to comply, but when he turned around, Donghun was indeed openly staring.

“Why are you looking at me like that? What’s so fascinating about me?”Junhee’s voice came out smaller than he’d intended. 

“You look like nobody I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, really?” Junhee chuckled nervously, trying to laugh away his self consciousness . “Does that mean I look weird to you?”

“No. I think you’re really beautiful, like I said. Do people not tell you you’re beautiful?” The older furrowed his brows, as if he genuinely couldn’t understand why Junhee seemed to not be accustomed to being told he was beautiful. “I’ve never seen anyone without tattoos or piercings. Your skin looks like snow that hasn’t been stepped in, so pale and untouched, even untouched by the sun.” His hands hovered like they wanted to touch again. Something in Junhee hoped he would.

“Why do you need to touch? You look with your eyes, not your hands. You aren’t a blind man.” Feeling exposed, he pulled the nightshirt on and held it closed around his torso.

“Sorry. I forget you don’t like it. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, it’s just normal for me.”

“It’s not that I—” It wasn’t that he didn’t like it. He just wasn’t _supposed_ to like it. They weren’t a couple. They weren’t due to marry. They shouldn’t be touching or looking or doing anything like this. This was reserved for people who were in love. “You… can touch here.” He rolled up his sleeve and presented his forearm.

The older gently touched Junhee’s forearm, running the pads of his fingertips up along his veins. “You don’t feel like I expected. Your skin feels like skin.”

“How did you expect me to feel?

“They say Othermen have cold, wrinkly, wet skin.” Donghun said simply. 

“What? Like some kind of toad?!” Junhee scoffed indignantly at the remark and snatched back his arm. 

“...What’s a toad?”

“It’s a— never mind.” His arms dropped down to his sides in defeat, letting the front of the shirt hang open. How could he be mad at that doe-eyed face?

“I figured that was a little farfetched.” 

Junhee let out a shaky breath as he felt Donghun’s fingertips skitter lightly over the exposed part of his collarbone. He didn’t dare try to answer. 

“You need to be told how pretty you are, Junhee. Until you get used to hearing it.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”

“You will with me around.” His hand found it’s way to cup Junhee’s cheek as he bumped their foreheads together, remaining there lost in the moment. Silence drifted through the room, with only the crackle of the dying embers in the fire until Donghun spoke something in his own language. It was low and whispered, the first time Junhee had heard him speak his mother tongue.

“I…” The younger wasn’t even sure what he was going to say. This was intense, his body felt numb.

Donghun leaned back a little and removed his touch from his cheek, touching one of his earlobes instead and leaving the blonde fighting the urge to lean into the touch. “So why don’t your people wear jewellery or ink their skin?”

“It… isn’t something we really do. Metal gets cold, so in freezing temperatures it isn’t good to have it on or in the skin. As for the tattoos… again, it just isn’t something in our culture.”

“That’s a shame.” Donghun mused quietly.

“Not much point in having tattoos anyway, we don’t show much skin because of the cold.” Junhee looked over the rings through Donghun’s ears, counting them. There were nine in the left and eight in the right. The idea made him wince. It must have been painful. “I didn’t know what to think when I saw yours, I was too shocked to really see what the tattoos were.” He joked, trying to ease the intensity. Nobody had ever looked at him like this. It felt intimate. 

“Do you want to see properly?” Donghun was already pulling open his own nightshirt and letting it slip off his shoulders, in no way shy or embarrassed about nakedness. Junhee was a little jealous of his boldness. 

He did his best to hide his reaction, not wanting to let Donghun have the satisfaction of getting him flustered. “A-Are they just decoration? For the sake of vanity?” Junhee asked carefully. 

“They all have some meaning. Vanity is valueless.”

Donghun already looked far healthier now compared to when he first found him, having gained weight and strength. Junhee looked over the expense of beautifully tanned skin and the patterns laying across it. Without thinking, he reached out and ran his fingertips over the symbol which looked like a black sun on his chest, right above his heart. 

“Sorry.” He said breathlessly, withdrawing his hand as soon as he realised what he was doing. 

“It’s ok.” Donghun caught his small wrist and gently brought his hand back to his chest. “You can touch me.”

Junhee’s heart was in his throat.

“That’s the symbol is for the sun god. We all have it in the hope he’ll have mercy on us some day.”

Junhee held his breath, He could feel the older’s heartbeat accelerating under his hand. He moved his hand across his chest to the patterns running down from his right shoulder joint. Intricate lines and dots extending downwards. It felt slightly raised from the surrounding skin in parts, making it tactile to rub his palm over. 

He could have ended up lost in the feeling of the other man’s naked skin. And god, was it was gorgeous skin. All of him was gorgeous. A nagging part of him wanted to run his hands all over the landscape of Donghun’s body. But no, he had to reign himself in. He wasn’t a horny teenager and Donghun wasn’t his lover. Lines weren’t meant to be crossed.

“That one was a gift from a good friend. Before he perished in the Wastes.” The older explained. 

“I’m sorry...”

“People dear to us... we mark each other’s skin. Skin is the greatest thing you can give to someone when you own nothing else to give. And it keeps those people with us if something happens to them.”

Junhee brushed his fingertip over a patterned band tattooed around his right upper arm. 

“First child born to my father. The other side is because I was the first born to my mother. Families have their own patterns and combine them when families come together.”

“You wear your life on your skin...” 

“And the people who touched my life.”

“Does it hurt?” Junhee moved his hand down over the outline of a bird in flight on his forearm. 

“When it’s being done, yeah. But not after it heals. That one is from my mother. It’s for protection.” He took Junhee’s hand and placed it over a tattoo on his lower abdomen. “This is a snake, it’s to scare away bad luck. It’s from Yuchan.”

Junhee had stopped breathing for a moment until he swallowed dryly and opened his mouth to speak again. “How is it done?”

“Ink and a cactus needle sharpened to a very fine point. Puncturing the skin over and over so the ink stays in there.”

Junhee winced at the idea. Why the hell would everyone want to put themselves through that? “That sounds horrific.”

“It’s not too bad.”

“This one looks like torture.” He touched the greenish blue bead on the gold ring passing through his nipple. 

Donghun’s breath hitched a little. “Ah, that means I’m of age.”

Junhee curiously flicked the ring, caught in a state of wonderment but pulled from his trance by the sharp gasp it drew from the other. 

“It’s uh s-sensitive.” Donghun bit his lower lip.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Junhee withdrew his touch as though the other man was a flame.

“It doesn’t hurt. It’s the good kind of sensitive.” 

Oh. Junhee wanted the ground to swallow him up. Embarrassed, he quickly fastened up his own nightshirt and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up over his head. “L-Let’s just sleep. It’ll be an early morning.” He hoped Donghun didn’t catch the blush blazing across his face and neck. 

“You’re so weird, Junhee.” Oh he definitely noticed. 

“You’re the weird one.” God, his heart was beating so fast. 

“Good night, Junhee. Sleep well.” Donghun sounded far too amused for Junhee’s liking. 

He lay there pretending to have instantly fallen asleep, feeling Donghun climb into bed next to him and proceed to cuddle him like a damn teddy bear. Junhee wouldn’t allow himself to think about how nice it would be to turn around and cuddle him back. The thing about thoughts like that was that they have the tendency to trickle their way in no matter how much you don’t want them to.

He was definitely going to have to sleep with viburnum flowers under his pillow. This man was making him insane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey thanks for reading so far! Writing this is like a cathartic thing for me to get my mind off things. I needed something whimsical and not dark as hell to write currently. I hope you’ll stay tuned because I’m really enjoying creating this world ^_^
> 
>  **In other news:** Can we just take a moment to appreciate how these boys are feeding us on twitter? And speaking of which, feel free to come say hi on twitter! I’m TheClamp2 and I shall of course follow back if you choose to follow me :D 
> 
> **In other other news:** Is it possible to have every song by The Rose stuck in your head at once?
> 
> ________
> 
> **NEXT TIME:** Donghun encounters a snow fox in the forest and cant help but think it reminds him of someone.  
> Later comes his first taste of alcohol. What could possibly go wrong?
> 
>  **QUICK NOTE:** There will be no scenes of animal deaths, just to put your minds at rest.


	4. White Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys head into the forest and Donghun gets his first taste of alcohol! But talking about home again brings all the negative feeling to the surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this chapter was driving me crazy. Basically, I ended up deleting it and starting again because it was garbage! Hopefully it is less garbage now. 
> 
> Also, I set out with the idea of the first couple of chapters being very one sided POVs and now as their understanding of each other grows and they become closer I’m trying to pull their perspectives together. I hope it works and doesn’t end up kinda jarring to read! Let me know honestly.
> 
>  **NOTE:** I did not include any scenes of animal deaths so don't worry, you can proceed without worrying there's gonna be that in the hunting scene. I write a lot of gritty and sometimes violent things in my fics but I can't bring myself to do it when it comes to animals.

“This is the forest, right?” Donghun asked as they reached the tree line. The snow wasn’t as deep here and was a lot easier to walk in. The brunette preferred walking through snow to trying to keep his balance on ice, anyways. He’d ended up slipping far too many times than he cared to count. 

His leg still protested against the physical exertion, but it wasn’t anything unmanageable. Besides, he was too determined to be useful to Junhee. Hell, he’d spent days with a bleeding open wound so this was nothing. 

“Yeah. Forest is just the words for a lot of trees in one place.”

“We don’t have forests, just cactus patches.” He looked up at the tall trees, blinking when small snowflakes landed on his face. They melted on his cheeks and got caught in his eyelashes. Donghun hadn’t been sure what to make of the trees when he’s first seen them, they were tall like buildings and looked incredibly alien to him. Well, he hadn’t known what to make of anything a lot of things here. 

“Cactus patches?”

“I haven’t seen cacti here. There’re plants but they look different to anything I’ve seen here. They can be different shapes and sizes but most are a little bigger than a man. They’re green and don’t have these.” He grabbed at the branch of a tree. “Instead they have like… arms?” He released the hanging branch and demonstrated with his body position by holding his arms up at funny angles, making Junhee laugh. It was hard to describe something like that to someone who had no concept of what on earth he was talking about. 

“I wonder if the image in my head is anything like what you’re describing.” 

“They have sharp needles growing out of them, too.”

“Oh yeah, you said about using them for tattooing, right?”

“Yeah but you need to sharpen them more, otherwise it doesn’t work well.” He looked around again, the forest was beautiful. He hadn’t had the chance to appreciate it last time, he’d been too busy trying to fend off death. 

“This isn’t far from where I found you.”“I don’t remember much after a certain point.” Without even thinking about it, he linked arms with the blonde.

“Do you want to rest for a while? If it’s too much for your leg we can turn back.”

“I’ll be ok.” He assured him. 

Junhee was unconvinced, leading him over to lean against a tree. “We just need to be aware of bears and wolves out here. If you see any don’t run or turn your back on them.”

“Sure but I don’t know what those things look like.” Donghun shrugged, a mock innocent smile on his lips. It actually made him look ridiculously angelic with the way the cold air turned his cheeks and nose pink. 

“Oh yeah. Uh... Just let me know if you see anything big and hairy… or _really_ big and hairy. Or just any animal, really. We don’t have to worry so much about wolves because usually they stay away from humans of their own accord. It’s only when it’s deep winter and they get hungry that you need to really worry.”

Big and hairy or really big and hairy. Or any animal at all. He could do that. “Got it.” 

“There’s a stream a little further north of here, we’ll make our way there and hopefully spot some tracks. It’s usually an hour walk up there so you need to tell me if you’re struggling with your leg. We’ll just take a short rest here for now.” Junhee took some bread from the small bag he carried, breaking it in half and giving a piece to Donghun. 

“Thank you.” Donghun took the bread and bit off a piece. “If you’re gonna make me rest, will you show me how you use your bow and arrow?”

Junhee put the rest of the bread away and took an arrow from the quiver on his back and slipped the bowstring into the nock at the end, keeping it pointed slightly downwards. “The string goes into the little notch you cut on the tail end, the nock. You need to grip it like this and draw back slowly. The end of the arrow should rest here like this.” He demonstrated, raising and drawing back just a little. “It’s quite hard to do if you aren’t used to it and don’t have strength in the right muscles. Your back and shoulders need to be strong.”

“And then you take aim down the arrow?”

“Yeah. Breathe calmly as you come to full draw, otherwise you’ll shake and the arrow won’t go where you intend.” He let out a long slow breath, aiming for the trunk of one tree in particular as he drew back fully. The expression on his face was one of serene focus and control. He looked elegant but powerful with the bow drawn and arrow ready to release. Blonde hair being gently moved around by the cold wind. He was mesmerising, making Donghun hold his breath as he watched. “Then release.” Junhee whispered under his breath and released the arrow, sending it flying deep into the trunk of a tree. 

“Whoa.” Donghun blinked, impressed with the power an accuracy. It probably wouldn’t be much good for catching lizards or snakes, but he could see how Junhee was able to catch all those hares. “Can I try it?”

“I’ll let you try on a tree but I’m not letting you hunt anything with it because you need to be skilled enough to kill something with one arrow, otherwise it isn’t fair on the animal to make it suffer.” He trudged over, taking another arrow from the quiver and holding it out to him, along with the bow. 

“It’s different to anything I’ve ever used before so I probably won’t be very good, anyway.” He was accustomed to just using a knife for pretty much everything. He felt like he had full control over a blade but as he took the bow and an arrow from the younger, it felt big and cumbersome. It was also a lot harder than he expected to draw back on the string all the way. He considered himself to be pretty strong, usually. But the muscles in his shoulder, back and upper arm burned in protest of the action. 

“It’s hard, right?” Junhee laughed. 

“How do you do it?!” Junhee was slender and wiry but roughly the same size as Donghun. 

“When you’re an archer your bones and muscles develop over time to be able to do it more easily. It’s a really unnatural posture for people. I’ve been an archer since I was old enough to hold a bow. My mother insisted on teaching me, saying an archer in the forest won’t ever go hungry. It’s true, I can make my living from it just like she did.” 

Donghun pulled back on the string again, not quite reaching full draw but aiming and releasing the arrow anyway. Inevitably the thing ended up landing directly into the snow. “Would you believe me if I said that’s where I was aiming at?”

“Nope.” Junhee cackled, taking the bow back as the older pouted.

“If it were a knife I bet I could get a target dead-on. I’d show you if I had one.” 

“I do.” Junhee smirked and reached down to take a small knife from the side of his boot. “Will this work?” He looked smug, probably not believing Donghun’s claims. 

Donghun took the knife and turned it over in his hands, figuring out the balance point and weight of it. It wasn’t quite like what he was used to but he could make do. His own knife had gotten lost when he fell and hurt his leg in the mountains. His father had made it for him when he was young and so he’d been more upset about the knife than his leg at the time.

Eyeing up the trunk of a tree not too far away, aiming for the centre of a circle in the bark, he threw the knife, hitting just shy of dead centre “Yes!” 

“Whoa!” Junhee stared wide eyed at where the knife was sticking out the wood of the tree.

Donghun beamed at the look on the younger’s face. “I woulda hit the middle if I was used to the knife. You’re impressed?” 

“Very.” Junhee walked over and pulled the knife from the tree. 

“Good, I’m glad I can impress you.” Because he’d grown to really like the hunter and certainly didn’t want him to think he was useless. 

“You can keep it if you like. Wouldn’t want you being all meek and defenceless.” Junhee grinned widely, showing off his teeth as he held the knife out to him. 

Donghun put his hands behind his back, refusing the gift. “After I’ve been of some value to you. Then I’ll accept it.” He started walking in the direction they’d been heading in, now even more motivated than ever to help Junhee out. “Hurry up!” He called back over his shoulder at the blonde still standing there with the knife in hand. 

“Hey, don't just wander off!” He called after Donghun. “Are you gonna find a deer and wrestle it into submission with your bare hands?” He called, hurrying to retrieve his arrows.

“Looks like it!” 

Junhee rolled his yes, pulling hard at the arrow in the tree but it was well and truly stuck in there. The arrowhead probably wouldn’t have been reusable but he hoped to re-use as much of it as possible. Unfortunately, it seemed the arrow shaft was a lost cause, too. He snapped it off and dropped it into his bag, at least he’d be able to re-use the feathers. 

The arrow the older had fired into the snow, on the other hand, would be perfectly serviceable. He rummaged around until he found it, placing it back into his quiver safely and harrying to follow the other’s tracks in the snow.

Meanwhile, up ahead, Donghun had stopped. His attention was caught by a fluffy white creature with large black eyes and a sharp face. He dropped down to his knees in the snow as the animal locked eyes with him. “You are so beautiful…” He whispered to the air. 

Junhee caught up with him, setting down his bow and crouching down in the snow slowly, a few feet back. “It’s called a snow fox. There aren’t many left because their fur is expensive and fashionable. People in the city send poachers here to trap and kill as many as possible. They just discard the meat because that’s not what they’re here for. They’re so small that their furs aren’t even worth wearing to provide warmth, just decoration.” He kept his voice low, just loud enough for Donghun to hear so he didn’t want to spook the creature. He’d only ever seen a snow fox twice in his life, both of those times were a number fo years ago. He didn’t think there were any left in the area.

Donghun frowned. “But… that’s a waste of a life. Besides, I think it’s much more beautiful like this than as a fashionable pelt.” He crawled closer to the fox, who’s gaze was still locked on him.

Junhee expected the fox to run. They were shy and skittish in their nature. But the thing actually took a couple of steps closer to Donghun. 

“Hello beautiful thing. Don’t worry, I really don’t want to wear you.” He crouched lower, getting a little closer. “Your fur is wonderful but it looks better on you than it would on a person, anyway.” He cocked his head. 

The fox stepped closer again, sniffing curiously at Donghun’s face. Junhee held his breath, half worried the creature was about to bite. He had never seen any wild creature go so willingly and calmly towards a person before. Of all his years spent in the forest, this was a first.

 _“Beautiful creature. I hope the spirits protect you from harm.”_ Donghun spoke in his native language without even realising he was doing it when the fox licked his cheek and started sniffing at his hair. It was like time stood completely still. Like the rest of the world dropped away completely and disappeared into the frozen air. 

But finally, the fox simply turned and padded away through the snow, white fur making it disappear quickly. 

“Snow fox… it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Donghun breathed before standing slowly. 

“They really are a stunning sight, aren’t they?” The blonde picked up his bow took Donghun’s arm, the action having become natural to him now.

“You look like a snow fox, Junhee. It’s your eyes.”

“That’s an improvement from toad.”

“I never said you look like a toad. You said that.” Donghun shoved him playfully but kept their arms linked together. “And you never even said what a toad looks like.”

“It’s a gross, ugly, bloated, slimy thing.”

Donghun barked out a laugh at that. “You’re a weird person but it makes me like you more.”

“You’re weirder than I am.” Junhee shot back with a smile. “Now try to be quiet, otherwise we’ll scare away every animal in the forest and we’ll be eating stale bread and oats tonight.”

. . . 

“Here, you helped me and so you earned this. Will you take it now?” Junhee set the knife on the table. “Without you I wouldn’t have been able to bring that deer all the way back to the butcher.”

Donghun simply looked at the knife on the table. 

“Also, this is your share of the money he paid me.” The blonde placed some coins on the table alongside the blade. 

“But I don’t need money.” He’d seen coins before at home so he knew what they were, but their value was simply the metal they were made from. They’d be melted down to make useful things. He’d also seen Junhee using them a lot but wasn’t exactly sure what each of the different ones were worth.

“You may not need it now but you may need it some day. You’re entitled to a share of the money because you did a share of the work.”

“Which are the least valuable?”

“These big ones.” The other pointed. 

“Then I’ll take only these.” He gathered the low value coins and tucked them into his pocket. 

“Don’t forget the knife.”

A smile tugged at Donghun’s lips as he reached out across the table to take the knife, too. “Thank you, Junhee.” He was taken by surprise when Junhee’s hand settled on top of his. The blonde had started to become more comfortable with physical contact lately but it still caught him off guard when Junhee was the one to reach out and initiate it. 

“Thank you, Donghun.”

If he were at home, he’d probably lean over and kiss Junhee’s forehead or something. But he didn’t want to overstep any line. Unfortunately, he didn’t really know where the line was or what the line even looked like. 

That was the trouble. He so desperately wanted to wrap Junhee up in his arms and cradle him to chase away his own feelings of loss and loneliness as well as Junhee’s. But it seemed that the younger would only really allow that while they slept. The blonde had spent a number of years living on the edge of this town alone, the knowledge of that just made Donghun want to curl up to him even more.

“I was thinking we should go to the tavern tonight and waste some of this money.” The younger suggested suddenly, his hand slipping away from Donghun’s.

“What’s a tavern?” His eyes followed the pale, elegant hand drawing away from him. 

“It’s a place where people go to get varying levels of drunk.” 

“Drunk?” He looked up, taking the knife and tying it to his boot as Junhee had worn it.

“Yeah, to drink alcohol? Y’know?” Junhee looked amused. Was it something incredibly obvious that he should know the meaning of?

“What’s alcohol?”

“Uh, you drink it and it makes your head fuzzy and sometimes makes you do things you regret? Makes some people go kinda crazy.”

That sounded like something Donghun would most certainly not want to drink. “Why would you want to drink that?” He wrinkled his nose.

“Some people like to calm themselves or drown their sorrows. Some people want to just have fun and lose some of their inhibitions. It’s a social thing, too. It’s fine as long as you don’t drink too much. It sounds stupid if I try to explain it but I promise it isn’t as bad as it sounds. I just thought it might be nice.”

Donghun wasn’t convinced. This alcohol stuff sounded like a terrible idea. “What happens if you drink too much?”

“You vomit, pass out in the public lavatory and wake up missing your money, shoes and all your memories of how you got there.” Junhee spoke from grim experience.

“I really don't understand the appeal but I trust you.”

“You don't have to try it if you don’t want to, I can just get you some water and we’ll get some food in there. I’ll get some ale and you can try some of that if you feel like it. It’s not very strong. Don’t worry, we aren’t going there to get really drunk and I won’t let you go too crazy.”

Donghun was sold at the mention of food.

. . .

It was pleasantly warm inside the tavern. The place was busy and loud with voices and a group of men playing music on stringed instruments in the corner. It was lively and merry with the smell of smoke and cooking meat over a scent Donghun didn’t recognise in the air. 

“Jun!” An older woman called over at them and waved. 

Junhee waved back and took Donghun over to sit at the long counter she was stood behind. 

“I heard you were hanging around the market with an exotic looking handsome young man. Seems it was true.” She smiled widely at Donghun. “Gin?”

“Just ale and some water, thanks. And four of whatever skewers you have on the coals.” Junhee perched on the seat. “This is Donghun, my friend from the islands in the south.” He lied, dropping some coins onto the countertop.

Donghun waved shyly at the woman. 

“Good to meet you, Donghun.” She set a cup of water and a cup of a foaming liquid in front of them, which Donghun deduced was the alcohol. “I’ll get bring you boys the best looking skewers.” She took the coins and walked away.

“She’s a friendly lady.” Donghun sipped at the cup of water. 

“She would have me married to her daughter if she had her way. She was disappointed to learn I don’t like women.” 

Donghun frowned. “What’s wrong with women? Why don’t you like them?”

Junhee laughed a little nervously. “I don’t hate women or anything like that, silly. I mean… romantically. I only like men romantically.” 

“Oh.” Donghun blinked but noticed Junhee tense a little. 

“Is that… ok?” 

Donghun wasn’t sure how to answer. Why wouldn’t it be ok? “Yes? Should it not be?”

“Some men would feel uncomfortable with it, especially since we share a bed. It’s become a lot more acceptable since the king married the son of the Eastern Emperor, but I’d understand if you weren’t comfortable…”

What a strange thing for people to be uncomfortable about. “If I had a problem with it then I’d have a problem with myself, too. Most people I know don’t really care about if a person is a man or woman.” Of course some people had their preferences but that wasn’t ever a problem. 

Junhee swallowed, looking relieved and about to say something but was interrupted by a set of skewers with cooked meat on them being placed in front of them. 

“Some nice big chunks of boar for you two.” The woman said jovially. 

“Thank you very much. These look really good.” Donghun’s eyes lit up, the food looked and smelled delicious. 

“Oh, he’s adorable, Jun. That cute little accent, too. You should make sure you don’t let him go.”

“Ah we aren’t a couple.” Junhee waved his hands as she walked away laughing. 

“This looks so good.” Donghun grabbed a skewer and bit off a chunk of meat. “It tastes so good!” He tried to say with his mouth stuffed with grilled boar. 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” The blonde scolded gently, taking a sip from his cup of ale. 

It didn't take the older long to finish off two of the skewers while Junhee was still making his way through his first. “You need to eat more.” Donghun poked the other’s arm. 

“It isn’t my fault you have the apatite of a horse.” 

Ah, Donghun had encountered a horse in the town before. The thing was huge and had almost given him a heart attack. 

“You can have the last skewer.” Junhee nudged it towards him. 

“No. I already had two, you should eat it.” He pushed the skewer back. “Please?” 

“Fine, fine.” Junhee took a bigger bite from the skewer in his hand. “I’ll get to it.”

“Should I try the alcohol now?”

“Only if you want to. No pressure.” Junhee offered the cup over. 

Donghun sniffed the foamy liquid curiously. It smelled strange. It couldn’t possibly taste any worse than cactus water, right? Surely. So, he took a tentative sip. The taste was absolutely vile, like nothing he’d drank before. “Ugh! It tastes like it should be poisonous.” A look of utter betrayal graced his face.

“I guess technically it is poisonous.” Junhee covered his mouth, trying not to laugh at the reaction. “I don’t think anyone likes it the first time.”

“Why didn’t you warn me?” He took another small sip and grimaced again, ever the glutton for punishment. “Ugh it’s really disgusting.”

“You don’t need to drink it. It’s fine.” Junhee bit his lower lip to stop himself from outright cackling with laughter at the poor young man’s suffering. “I know something you might like. Are you willing to try one more thing?”

“Fine.” Donghun placed the ale back down, far away from himself like it might bite him. 

“Can I get a cup of mead!?” Junhee called to the bar maid, setting a few more coins down on the counter. 

“Of course!” She called back, taking the coins and quickly replacing them with a cup filled with a different liquid.

“This stuff is sweeter. It’s stronger than the ale, though. So just sip it slowly.” Junhee warned, drinking his disgusting ale without even flinching. 

Again, Donghun sniffed the drink first. This time it at least smelled more appetising, which was an encouraging sign. He took a tiny sip. It was sweet and had a far more palatable flavour, leaving a slight warmth at the back of his throat. 

“Well?”

“This is much nicer.” 

“Drink the rest of your water before you finish half of it, I don’t want you getting too drunk since you haven’t had it before. Mead is dangerously easy to drink.”

Despite the water, it didn't take very long for the alcohol to start kicking in. 

Donghun’s head was getting a little fuzzy but he felt strangely excitable under the surface. It also became a little harder to think straight. But the atmosphere was warm and comfortable enough that he didn’t really care. It was easy to simply not care when the world was softening at the edges. The nagging emptiness and guilt felt in his chest seemed a little further away now, too. He could see the appeal of drinking this stuff. Junhee had told him how people use it to drown their sorrows. 

Maybe just a little more.

A little over half way down his second cup of mead, he found himself staring blankly at Junhee while the hunter sang along to the music coming from he performers. God, he was so pretty in this light and had such a nice singing voice. And that wide, toothy smile…

“Junhee?” 

The blonde turned to look at him questioningly.

“Would you get all shy if I kissed you? I’d be begging you to marry me if I saw you at home.” The brunette giggled. “I’d live forever even without water if waking up next to your face was the motivation.”

“Oh so you’re a sappy drunk, huh? You already wake up to my face every morning. Remember?”

“To wake up to your face and naked body then!” He managed between giggles.

“I think this is a sign you’ve had enough mead.” Junhee took what was remaining in his cup and drank it in one gulp.

“Hey that was mine.” He pouted. 

“We’ll walk along the edge of the lake, the air should sober you up a little.” He offered a hand, which Donghun instantly took as he stood. He felt kinda unsteady but oddly light on his feet. It made him giggle again and cling to Junhee’s arm. 

The night air was like walking into a wall as they left the life of the tavern behind. The streets were dark but faintly illuminated by the warm glow of lamplight from the windows of homes. 

“Good thing I didn’t get you another, I’d be carrying you home.” 

“Can you carry me anyway?” 

“No.” 

“Aren't you drunk?”

“I’m kinda but not as tipsy as you are, that’s why I’m taking us home and being responsible. I’ve built up a tolerance, unlike you.” The younger teased lightly as he lead him down the empty streets to the edge of the lake, walking along the wet black sand and pebbles. It was actually easier to walk on than the ice and cobblestones of the town. A bitter wind blew steadily from across the water as it always did. Not that Donghun felt it as much as he usually did, the mead serving to warm him from the inside. 

Donghun looked down at the dark ground as they walked. “Why is the sand black?” He’d meant to ask before but hadn’t had the opportunity. The only sand he ever knew was red.

“Thousands of years ago this area was full of mountains which spat fire into the sky. That’s why the landscape is so dramatic. The furious of lakes of fire and the relentless glaciers meeting and carving out valleys and mountains.”

“Mountains spitting fire?”

“That’s what they say, anyway. There’s a lot of obsidian in the land from that time, shiny black stones. That’s where they say it comes from, spat out of the angry earth. It washes up on the shore of the lake.” Junhee bent down briefly and picked up a shiny black pebble. “It’s like black glass. The pebbles have rounded edges and shine because they’re polished by the water and sand. I used to collect up the prettiest ones I could find as a child.”

“You did?”

“I used to walk the shoreline with my mother. We’d see who could find the nicest stones.” He placed the stone in Donghun’s palm.

The brisk cold was wearing away quickly at the affects of the alcohol, leaving behind a lump in Donghun’s throat and a pressure behind his eyes as the giddiness faded away. “Is your mother with the spirits now?”

“Yeah... I was still a teenager when she died. I miss her, though.”

“And your father?”

“My mother was unmarried. So I never met him, he probably doesn’t know I exist.” Junhee must have noticed or anticipated his confusion because he elaborated. “It’s considered pretty shameful for an unmarried woman to have a child, especially with an unknown father. But even though she raised me well on her own, she wasn’t really welcome in the town. A woman of loose morals, they’d say. The other kids weren’t allowed to pay with me, either. So we lived with my grandmother away from everyone until she passed on and remained at that house. Now it’s just me.”

“How cruel of them to shun somebody for that.” Donghun’s head felt a little clearer now, giving way to an ache. 

“Will you tell me about your home? Your family? What does the place look like?”

“Theres red dust in the air a lot of the time so you have to keep your face covered so you don’t choke. Depends if the wind is blowing from the dunes or not. Sometimes the dust is so thick that the sky turns red, too. It’s flat, other than the dunes, so you can see for miles. Not like here. There aren’t really any plants other than the cacti but even they’re dying off.”

“It’s hard to imagine much life existing in a place like that.”

“There isn’t much. People say the land is cursed… one day the rain just stopped coming. The crops withered. Livestock died. The wells ran dry. The sun baked the earth. The nomads perished and the city began to crumble.”

“And your family? What happened to them?” 

“They’re here.” Donghun smiled sadly, running his fingers down his earrings and holding out his wrist with the string of beads coiled around it. 

“The stones?”

“They’re passed along between families and people we care for after they go to the other world. These beads are all full of thousands of memories over hundreds of lifetimes.”

“Oh my god…”

“Some of these would have belonged to ancestors of mine who lived in that land before the city was even built. It’s said that when you die, part of your soul gets absorbed into the stones while the rest of it moves on to the other world.”

“Here I thought they just looked pretty on you. No wonder they mean so much to you, I’m sorry I didn't realise.” He trailed off. The number of pretty beads seemed awfully grim to him, now.

“They’re supposed to bring joy, they’re supposed to be full of love and happy memories. But sometimes…” He didn't finish his sentence, words dying into quietness. 

They left the edge of the lake and trudged through the snow in silence. Donghun could feel the hole in his heart opening back up with every step. Maybe he should have drank more mead and the feeling wouldn’t have come back a hundred times stronger. Or maybe this was just his heart telling him he couldn’t run from pain. 

When the pair reached Junhee’s home, they hurried inside to get out of the cold. 

“I’m glad you left that place, y’know. Now you’re safe.” Junhee hung up their coats.

There was a drawn out pause. “Because I ran… like a coward.” Donghun made his way straight to the bedroom, not bothering to turn on the lamps, just shedding his outdoor clothes carelessly down to the last layer. Something about tonight had raised his emotions to the surface, threatening to make tears push themselves out of his eyes. He just wanted to sob into the pillow.

“You aren’t a coward, Donghun.”

“I was supposed to look after Yuchan.” Donghun’s voice faltered, his fist tightening around the obsidian pebble still in his hand. 

“You aren’t a coward.” Junhee said again. 

The older couldn’t hold it in anymore, the sobs breaking out.

“Hey, it's ok.” Junhee wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close and letting him cry into his shoulder.

“I can do nothing to help them and they’re dying!” He gripped at Junhee’s shirt, clinging on for dear life. 

Junhee pressed his face into Donghun’s hair, tears running down his own cheeks. It hurt to see Donghun breaking down like this, to hear his helpless sobbing and feel his shaking shoulders. It broke his heart. “Let’s go to bed, you’re probably exhausted.” He said softly, struggling to keep his voice from cracking. 

Donghun just clung on harder, his tears soaking through the fabric of Junhee’s clothes. 

“C’mon.” He slowly guided him over to the bed with him and pulled the blankets up over them while he waited for the desperate sobbing to subside. He did what he could, tugging the older closer against him and running his fingers soothingly through soft wavy hair, humming a steady tune. 

Eventually, the crying tailed off into a few hiccups and finally into calm, steady breathing. Junhee kept combing his fingers through his hair, wondering if he should have been more sensitive to his situation. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked Donghun about his home and his family.

“Do you think… your king would help my people?” Came a muffled voice, just as Junhee thought Donghun had fallen asleep. 

“What?” 

Donghun was turning the black pebble over in his hand, having kept ahold of it. “Your king. He could send out supplies, right? Do you think he would do it if I go to him and explain? Is he a good man?”

“I… I don’t know. He probably won’t believe where you’re from.”

“The worst that can happen is that he’d say no, right?” Donghun looked up.

“The worst is that he’ll have your head cut off.”

“Is he a tyrant?”

“I don’t think so but I really don’t know. Besides, you can’t just walk into the palace and expect to speak with the king.”

“But if I fail at least I’d have tried.” Donghun sounded like he was begging. 

“Donghun, I can’t let you go wandering off across the country. The capital is five days ride away by horse for, goodness sake.”

“Please, I have to do something. Anything.”

Junhee sighed deeply. “This is insane. Fine.” He held up his hand to stop Donghun from saying anything. “But you aren’t going alone.”

“What?” 

“We’ll leave in two days.”

Donghun’s eyes widened. “Really? You’ll take me there?”

“Not sure what good I’ll be as a guide, I’ve never been to the capital before.” 

Donghun suddenly squeezed his arms around him tightly. “Thank you!”

“Ah stop! You’re hurting me.” 

Donghun released him and instead, placed a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you so much, Junhee. From me and my people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! :D Let me know what you think ^_^
> 
>  **NEXT TIME:** They journey to the capital city, a culture shock even for Junhee.  
> Introducing: King Wow! :D 
> 
> __________
> 
> **In other news:** the song currently stuck in my head while proof reading this has been SOBER by BIGBANG. You probably don’t need to know that but now you do :D


	5. Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys venture to the palace, not knowing exactly what to expect when they arrive in the city. Junhee might be a little out of his comfort zone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo it’s chapter five! :D
> 
> I try to keep chapters to around 5000 words but once again I appear to have failed and gone over that! More like over 7000… I apologise for death by word count. Buuuuuut I’m much happier with this chapter than the previous one so I hope you enjoy ^_^

Donghun had woken up late to an empty bed and an irritating headache. 

It was already light out which was strange because usually Junhee woke him up rather than letting him sleep. He ran through everything that had happened last night and suddenly feared that he might have offended Junhee or made him uncomfortable or angry with him. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t woken him up. Maybe he didn’t want to speak to him.

Chewing at his lower lip, he looked around and noticed a number of items missing from the room. Some of the warm, thick blankets which usually covered the bed, the candlesticks, all but one oil lamp and likely some other things he couldn’t quite put his finger on. 

Rubbing at the ache in his head, he climbed out of bed and headed to the other room to find that it was also missing a number of items. 

Junhee was sat at the table counting out coins meticulously next to a small pile of lucky heather, a small frown of concentration creating a wrinkle between his eyebrows. 

“Why are there things missing?”

Junhee looked up only briefly. “Oh. Well, we need money if we’re going to the capital.”

“You sold your belongings?” Oh that horrible pang of guilt. He hadn’t really considered that travelling across he country would cost money. 

“We’ll need to buy a horse to get us there. I can sell it back to the owner when we return but for now it’s quite an expense.” 

“You meant what you said last night? You’ll help me?”

“Of course I’ll help you.” He looked up at him. “There’s no time to find another deer. I’m gonna go see what I can find to quickly take to market. Probably just some hares but we’ll need as much money as possible.”

“I’ll help you.”

“C’mere.” Junhee gently tugged him down to lean closer and and picked up a piece of heather from a small pile on the table, tucking it behind Donghun’s ear. “There. We’ll need some good luck. Now hurry and get dressed if you want to come. Maybe we’ll be lucky and find a boar or something.” 

Copying the action, Donghun picked up a tuft of the heather and placed it behind Junhee’s ear. Forgetting to moderate his behaviour, he couldn’t resist pecking a light kiss against his temple. It just felt like a natural thing to do.

“Hey I let you get away with it last night but you can’t go around kissing people.”

Donghun’s heart sank a little in his chest and he swallowed down the whine of frustration threatening to escape. He was increasingly feeling like he can’t seem to do anything right. He cared for the other man deeply and just wanted to show him how he appreciated and adored him. “Why not? How else would I show you affection?” 

“That kind of affection is only for lovers. Friends don’t kiss each other, Donghun.” 

“Wow, is there anything friends can do?” The older half joked.

“They an go get dressed quickly so they can come help me.”

Donghun rolled his eyes and left to get dressed. 

“Don’t be grumpy!” Junhee called after him.

“I’m not!” He wasn’t mad or anything, just irritated with himself. Junhee was taking him to the capital and had sold some of his belongings, things that had probably been in this home since he’d lived here with his mother and grandmother. There were probably memories attached to those things. Yet, Donghun couldn’t even seem to show his appreciation without making him feel uncomfortable. 

He dressed quickly, making sure the pendant around his neck was tucked safely underneath his clothes against his chest and placing his hand over it. _“I’ll make you proud. I’ll stop being a coward. Please watch over Junhee, too. He’s important to me.”_ He muttered under his breath, his own language feeling almost strange on his tongue by this point.

________________________________

When the time came for them to set out on their journey, Junhee had woken him early and given him a leather bag of supplies to carry. Donghun could see the pain in Junhee’s eyes as he left the home he’d known his whole life . 

“We’ll be back soon.” Donghun reassured him, linking arms with the younger. But as they left the home and began making their way to the town, he remembered something he couldn’t leave without. “Wait I forgot something!” He let go of Junhee’s arm and ran clumsily back to the house through the deep snow.

“Donghun we don’t have time for this!” Junhee yelled as he stood there in confusion. 

There, on the bedside table, was the shiny obsidian pebble from the edge of the lake. He grabbed it and tucked it safely into his pocket along with the unspent coins he still had that Junhee gave him. He couldn’t leave without that, he felt bad enough that he almost forgot it.

With the small pebble safely in his pocket, he hurried out to catch up with the blonde who just gave him a questioning look. 

“Sorry. Couldn’t leave without it. It’s important.”

“What did you forget?” 

“You’ll see.” Donghun said simply and hooked his arm back around the other’s. 

At the stable, Donghun had been too scared of the horse to even go near it at first. This one was even bigger than the one he’d seen previously. He didn’t trust the beast at all, what if it turned on them and bit him? 

“You have to get on it, Donghun. That or you’ll have to run alongside all the way there.” Junhee hopped up onto the horse with relative ease. “Come on, it’s fine.” 

Donghun stared at the thing for a moment, psyching himself up until finally attempting to climb onto it extremely ungracefully and failing miserably. He tried again, not able to get purchase on anything and just hanging off the side of the beast before losing his grip. 

Junhee burst into laughter, climbing back down. 

“Don’t laugh at me. I’d like to see you steering a land kite.” Donghun swatted at him. 

“Ok, sorry. I guess you’ve never been on horseback before. I’ll help you.” Junhee ended up having to practically lift him up onto the animal’s back before jumping back on himself. 

“I don’t like this.” Donghun clung desperately to the blonde as they rode off out, the horse seemingly disgruntled with the situation and not quite going where Junhee wanted it to go once they left the stable. 

“Sorry, I haven’t ridden a horse in a while.” He apologised, finally getting control of the animal and persuading it to canter along the road. 

When Donghun didn’t respond, Junhee tapped at his hand which was around his waist and gripping the fabric of his clothes tightly. 

“Are you ok back there, Donghun?”

A very unconvincing “Yes” was the response. 

“Come on, it’s fine. What’s wrong?”

“This is just very high up.”

“You’re afraid of heights?”

“No, I’m afraid of falling and breaking my neck.” Donghun corrected. 

“Should I tie you on, then?” Junhee joked and tried to lace their fingers together but the grip the other had on the front of his coat was too firm. 

“Please keep both your hands on the things controlling the beast.”

“Oh so now you don’t want to hold my hand?” He barked out a laugh and took back ahold of the reigns with both hands.

“Don’t laugh at my suffering!”

“But your suffering is funny.”

Donghun made an annoyed noise and bit Junhee on the shoulder. The bite was hard enough for the blonde to know it was a bite but didn’t cause any pain through the layers of his clothes. 

“Did you seriously just bite me?”

“Yes I did.” 

“In that case…” Junhee jeered the horse into a gallop, causing Donghun to yelp and hang on for dear life. 

. . . 

They only took a short break to eat and refill their water once, in the middle of the day. Once over some of his initial fear over being on the horse, Donghun would point things out along the road and ask what they were. Until he got too tired, that is. Junhee had resorted to looping a length of rope around his middle for fear he’d fall sleep and fall off. He hadn’t actually intended on making good on his threat to tie him on when he’d joked about it that morning.

Eventually, they reached a small village with an inn. It was late, already growing dark quickly. 

Junhee’s back and hips were so stiff when he climbed off the horse, he wasn’t used to riding, especially for such long periods of time. “Lets get some food and some sleep. We’ll have to set out early again tomorrow.” He helped Donghun off the horse by lifting him down, gritting his teeth as his back muscles tightened further and twinged with the action. 

“What’s this place?” The older questioned.

“It’s an inn. People can pay to sleep here. They have a stable for the horse to rest and eat, too.” He explained, rubbing at his jarred lower back. 

Junhee paid for their room and brought the horse around to the stable for the night while he left Donghun in the tavern downstairs. He’d given him some money to buy a bowl of fish stew for them to share. They had to be careful with their expenses, there were still a number of days to travel ahead and they’d still need some for the return journey. Junhee thought to himself how probably wasn’t a good idea to let someone with Donghun’s appetite get a head start if they were going to share. 

However, Donghun felt a certain degree of anxiety sat in the tavern without him. Junhee had promised he wouldn’t be long, but he was a little too uneasy to eat. People in Junhee’s town had given him funny looks because of how he stood out as a stranger, but he didn’t notice so much and didn’t really care with the blonde there next to him. But alone, the stares made him feel self conscious and hyper aware of his hair and skin tone.

He almost jumped right out of his skin when two men approached him, one slamming his hand down on the table harshly. “That’s an awful lot of gold you’ve got in your ears, boy.” The man said. It brought back all the stories of Othermen being thieves and his initial fear that they might kill him to take his jewellery.

“I… I guess.” He tried to simulate Junhee’s accent as much as possible, as if it would help.

“You must be a foreigner, right? Where are you from?” The man on the other side asked in a dangerous tone. 

Where had Junhee been telling people he was from? Oh, that’s right. “The southern islands.” He swallowed. 

“You’re a long way from home.” The pair began to crowd him, far too close for Donghun’s liking. He had no idea what to do. Was he supposed to run? Fight? Yield? He flinched when one of the men flicked his earrings, making the beads and metal clatter against the one another.

“Real gold, too. Expensive.” 

“There’s one through his eyebrow, too.” The man on his left pointed out.

“Hey. Move along.” God, Donghun was so damn happy to hear Junhee’s voice. 

“He with you?” 

“Yeah. Just get outta here if you don’t want any trouble. Not ever a few licks of gold, anyway. Or perhaps you’d like to test how good a shot I am?” Junhee said calmly, motioning to the bow and quiver of arrows on his back. Even maintaining a cool demeanour when the men stood in front of him, both taller and broader, he didn’t even flinch. A few tense moments passed before the men shoved past him, leaving to sit back down on the other side of the room. 

Junhee let out the breath he’d been holding, feeling himself sweat a little. 

“I’m sorry. They just came over and started talking about my earrings, I didn’t—”

“It’s fine.” Junhee sat himself at the table, flinching at the pull in his lower back. 

“You were really brave to stand up to them like that.”

“Not really. If you get faced with a predator in the forest you have to remain calm, no matter how scared you are. Same applies to any animal and those two were a lot dumber than any wolf.” Being away from home made Junhee a little on-edge but two thugs looking for an easy target was nothing he couldn’t handle. There were people like that even at home. 

The brunette pushed the bowl of stew towards him. “Eat.”

“I kinda expected you to have inhaled the whole thing by now, thought I was gonna go hungry.” Junhee scooped out a chunk of eel.

“I didn’t feel like eating without you here.” 

“Sorry, I won’t leave you alone again.” He shifted, his back still feeling like there was a knife sticking in it. 

“Are you ok?” “Yeah, let’s just eat and go to bed. I just need to lay down.” 

______________________________

Junhee’s body may have been conditioned perfectly for archery and trekking miles through the snowy forest, but he was no horse rider. 

He splayed himself out face down on the hard bed in the next inn, thighs burning and lower back cramping up in agonising spasms. This was only the second day of travelling and he wasn’t sure how he was going to face any more of this torture. They really should have saved money by camping out tonight but the darkening clouds were threatening snow. Junhee was glad of it, the only thing worse than a hard bed would have been the even harder ground. 

Despite his efforts to hide his severe discomfort, Donghun noticed his suffering. 

“My hips and my back hurt, too.” Donghun came to sit on the bed next to him.

“It’s mostly my back. I think just I made it worse.”

“…By lifting me on and off the horse?” Donghun frowned. He’d managed to scramble up onto the damn thing himself today after they took a break, but jumping down on his own was another matter. Maybe he did have a fear of heights. 

“It’s fine. Really.” 

“No it isn't, I can tell you’re in a lot of pain. Will you let me help you?”

Junhee whined into the pillow, muscles around his lower spine cramping up again. God, he couldn’t go on like this. He’d be willing to try just about anything right now. “Y-Yeah.”

Junhee grunted a little when his shirt was lifted enough to expose most of his back, any shyness completely overshadowed by needing relief from the pain.

“Does the pain come in waves?”

“Yeah. My muscles keep spasming.” 

“It’s probably because you need your muscles to relax.” He ran a long index finger from the top of his spine slowly downwards. “Tell me where the problem is.” 

“There.” 

“Here?” He pressed his fingertips experimentally around either side of Junhee’s lower spine, feeling the tightness there. 

“Mhmm.” 

Shifting his position, Donghun knelt over him with knees bracketing either side of his thighs. “I’ve got you, don’t worry.” He soothed over the area, just where his back dipped down before rising with his hips. “It might be a little sore at first. Just trust me, it’ll help.”

The blonde just nodded and swallowed as Donghun started to work at the tight knots in ligaments and muscles there. Every now and again Junhee would yelp and whine as he pushed down on especially tender spots, making him grip at the blankets and press his face deeper into the pillow. 

“It’s ok… shhhh. Relax the rest of your body for me.” He pushed his hands up over his upper back and shoulders. 

It took a long while but eventually the pain ebbed away, allowing Junhee to melt under his hands. 

It started to feel good. 

Good enough to let his mind begin to wander dreamily. 

Those damn hands… They’d feel good touching all over his body, wouldn’t they? Sliding over his chest, along his hips. His thighs. Touching. Gripping. 

Ah, those damn unclean thoughts.

Something that could have been a small moan tumbled out from between Junhee’s lips before he could stop it in it’s tracks. 

“Does it feel good, Junhee?” There was a slight teasing tint to Donghun’s voice. 

Junhee groaned in defeat. “You know exactly what you do to me sometimes. I know you know.” 

A long pause passed between them as Junhee felt a feather light touch move up his back, making him shiver. 

“Can I ask you a serious question?” 

Junhee turned himself over to lay on his back, tugging his shirt back down and looking up at the other. “Of course.” 

“You said… kissing is only for lovers, right? There seems to be strict boundaries between friend and lover here, which I’m not used to. A bold line that I have no idea how to cross.” 

Junhee brought his lower lip between his teeth, nervous as to where this was going. “Yeah…?”

“So, tell me. How would I become someone’s lover?” Donghun tilted his head. 

The blonde was pretty sure his heart stopped for a moment. “I... well usually you’re supposed to ask someone’s parents permission to court them. Then you’re supposed to spend time together and come to an agreement if you like each other enough.”

“Do you think you mother approve of me?”

Honestly? Yeah. She really would. “I think... she would adore you.” He answered honestly. 

“We spend all our time together and I like you a lot, Junhee.” Donghun actually looked nervous as the words left his mouth.

Junhee reached up to brush the curls out of Donghun’s eyes, swallowing dryly and not trusting his voice. He liked Donghun. A lot. He was handsome and sweet but stood up to his natural stubbornness. He’d managed to work his way into his heart so quickly after he found him out there in the forest, being dropped into his life and shattering his loneliness. Loneliness he didn’t realise he had until it was broken. 

Donghun chewed his lower lip when Junhee didn’t say anything. “Can we reach an agreement? Will you allow me to be your lover?”

Junhee nodded. 

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes.” Junhee was still a little shocked by the whole thing.

Donghun’s face split into a smile and clapped his hands together. “Wonderful, now for the the final step. In accordance with my traditions you must wrestle and defeat me to earn the right to be my lover!”“What!?”“I’m kidding Junhee! That’s not a thing.” Donghun cackled, leaning forward and bumping their foreheads together. “There’s no way you’d win, anyway.”“Uh, no. Think you’ll find that I’d win.” Junhee scoffed. 

“No you wouldn’t. You’re smaller than me.” “Not by much. Besides, it doesn't matter. I’d still win.”

Donghun smirked and took both Junhee’s slender wrists, pinning them above his head with one hand. “Go on then, lover. Prove yourself.” 

Something in Junhee’s chest quivered at the action, but his stubbornness won out easily. Forgetting about his back for a moment, he wrapped his legs around the other’s waist and rolled to flip their position, ending up sat on top of Donghun’s hips. Not without a twinge in his spine, of course. But it felt far less painful than before. “See? I won.” Junhee announced triumphantly.

Donghun just beamed up at him. “Congratulations, as a reward for vanquishing me you get to claim your prize. You get to kiss me.” 

Junhee narrowed his eyes. “Why do I feel like I’ve been tricked?”

“I’m waiting, lover.” He pursed his lips. 

“Ok, you aren’t allowed to say that word anymore, you damn grifter.”

“Sorry. I mean- I’m waiting, beautiful Junhee.”

“Fine, if it makes you shut up.” The younger did his best to appear annoyed but he knew Donghun saw right through him. With pink cheeks, he leaned down and connected their lips. He’d kissed someone before, back when he was younger. But this felt different. Donghun’s lips were so soft against his own and it felt so right. The way the two of them fit together perfectly and how Donghun’s hand came up to cup the side of his face. 

“Beautiful Junhee.” 

“I’ve never told you how handsome you are, have I?” Junhee wished he could be as open as Donghun was able to be. 

“It’s ok, I know you think I look good. You have a very expressive face.”

Junhee sat up a little too quickly, intending on giving some witty comeback but instead yowling when his back protested at the action. “Yah! Ok that was stupid of me.” He flopped onto the mattress pathetically. 

“Aw, it’s ok. I’ll massage your back in the morning and whenever you want.” He cooed. 

________________________________

Over the days of travel which followed, the landscape had changed dramatically. It wasn’t quite so cold and there was far less snow on the ground. Almost none in some places, in fact. The land also flattened out from mountains to rolling hills, hardy orchards and crops. The trees were different, too. They weren’t all bristly like pines and firs further north, their leaves were wide and flat. 

Junhee seemed a little jumpy at times, especially when they rode into the capital city. While Donghun gazed around in wide-eyed wonder, the blonde seemed to shrink in on himself. They left the horse at a stable near the city walls to proceed on foot.

The streets were incredibly busy and chaotic. The buildings loomed far higher than those in Junhee’s hometown. Donghun didn’t feel like such a stranger here. Nobody paid any attention to the way he looked, too busy with their own lives. The narrowness of the streets in a strange way even reminded him of home, maybe once the streets had been just as busy and bustling with life as these were. He didn’t feel vulnerable or threatened as he’d done with the men approached him in the tavern of the first inn. 

The palace sat in the middle of the city, standing out with it’s impressive walls and the high central tower visible even from afar. 

There were a lot of unfamiliar sights, smells and sounds here. Junhee wasn’t used to such chaos and disorder. Each side of them along the street had vendors selling everything from food to fabrics and clothing which was ready made. It was a world away from the market at home. 

“What are all these?” Donghun pointed to a stall selling colourful fruits.“I’m not sure what a lot of this stuff is.” Junhee eyed over the fruits. These sorts of things didn’t grow as far north as his home town, the earth was almost constantly frozen and so they relied on berries and hardy plants from the forest. Here, though it was cold, at least there were weeks of the year where the ground thawed and things were brought in from across the kingdom and from the neighbouring lands.

“Can we get some?”

“I don’t…” He spotted something he did vaguely recognise from a long time ago. “Oh, these are apples I think. I never had one but they’re supposed to be good.” He paid the woman at the stall and passed an apple to Donghun, taking one for himself, too. Some miners transiting through had brought some on their way to the silver mines a few years ago.

“What’s that?” Donghun pointed to something else. Sacks of white grains and some being boiled in a large pot.

“I think it’s called rice. It’s a grain imported from the Eastern Empire. I hear it keeps better than barley.” Again, he had a vague awareness of it. Some quantities had been traded with the town in exchange for fish a few times. 

Donghun wandered away, gravitating to where people were lining up for bowls of rice mixed with spices, meat and vegetables. “It smells so good.” 

“Don’t wander, what if I lose sight of you?” Junhee grabbed Donghun’s wrist and dragged him away a little too sharply.

“Junhee.” Donghun stopped, pulling him back. “Are you ok?”

“I just… feel unsettled.” This wasn’t his home, it was so far from everything he knew. He knew his home, he knew the small town, he knew grilled eels and hare stew. But of all places, forest was where he felt most at peace. He knew it best of all. He’d known it since he was a baby carried on his mother’s back while she hunted wild boars. He didn’t belong somewhere like this. It felt strange and unpredictable. “All these people. It’s just overwhelming.” 

Donghun looked around them, spotting a small alley off the street which looked reasonably empty. “Come.” He lead Junhee by the hand. “Remember, be calm even if you’re afraid inside.” He mirrored his words from before back at him.

“I know. Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Junhee leaned against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment to centre himself. “I just need to breathe for a second.”

“Take your time.” Donghun took a bite out of the apple. “This is really good. Eat yours, it’s sweet.” 

“I’m not that hungry.” Junhee still had his eyes closed but they flew open in surprise when Donghun leaned in and kissed his lips, the sweet juices from the fruit still on his own. 

“Lick your lips.” 

He did, tasting the sweetness there. The kisses would still take some getting used to, they still made his head swim. But right now it proved a suitable distraction from his anxiety, at least. 

“See? It’s good, right?” 

Junhee took a bite and sure enough, the fruit was delicious. “It’s really sweet.” 

“Right? So good.” Donghun took another bite, the juice trickling down his chin. The blonde had to resist temptation to lean over and lick it off. But there was no time for such indulgences. 

“Let’s eat and walk. It’s still early so maybe we can work out how we might get an audience with the king before we find somewhere to sleep.” Maybe they’d get lucky and be granted audience quickly so he wouldn’t have to spend a moment longer than necessary in this place. Oh how he longed for the silence of the forest. 

Donghun nodded and took another bite from the apple, taking Junhee’s hand and lacing their fingers together as they walked back out into the street. 

. . . 

A palace guard informed them that the king only held court twice a week and only to a handful of people. Apparently they’d just have to wait and hope that they were chosen. Something Junhee felt a whole lot less optimistic about when he saw the sheer number of people also waiting.

His heart sank. They could show up here two days every week for the rest of their lives and never catch so much as a glimpse of the king. 

The great hall where people gathered to await their chance for an audience with the king was large with a high ceilings, hanging standards and grand tapestries draped from stone pillars. 

“What if he doesn’t see us today or tomorrow?” Donghun asked, hand squeezing his tighter. 

“Then we stay until next week and try again.”

“But we don't have much money left. How will we afford somewhere to sleep for that long?”

They’d come this far. Giving up wasn’t an option at his point. “I don't know, but we’ll work something out.” How on earth did an outsider make honest money in the city? He had no idea. Maybe someone would pay them to scrub pots or something. 

Donghun was about to say something else when all attention in the room was suddenly turned to the main doors at the rear of the room opening. The chatter of voices fell silent and people moved aside to make way as a young man crossed the room, surrounded heavily by guards. 

He was beautiful. His catlike eyes accentuated with smokey powder, jet black to match his hair. His full lips were painted with a deep pink like the petals of a flower and he was dressed in layers of luxuriously flowing red silk robes, adorned with expensive fur. He was dripping with gold and jade, the elegant finery tinkling as he swept through the hall gracefully like he was floating rather than walking. 

People bowed their heads respectfully as he passed.

“Who is that?” Donghun whispered, copying everyone’s actions and dipping his head. “Is he the king?”

“No. That must be the son of the Eastern Emperor. Byeongkwan.” 

Ah, something clicked. “You said he married the king, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

Donghun suddenly rushed forward. “Excuse me!”

“Donghun!” Junhee tried to stop him but lost his grip on his hand with the sudden movement. 

The guards formed a wall between Donghun and the young man an instant, swords drawn. 

“Please! Please ask the king to see me. I need help!” 

Junhee grabbed him and yanked him back. “I’m sorry, your highness. He isn’t from around here, he doesn’t know how things work.” 

“And neither do you, it seems. It’s customary to kneel when addressing royalty, isn’t it?” Byeongkwan stared expectantly at Junhee.

“Sorry, your highness.” Junhee dropped to his knees, pulling Donghun down with him. 

Byeongkwan waved the guards aside, looking over the pair of them. “Everyone here needs help. The king’s time is precious. What makes you think your need is greater than the need of all these other people?” 

“Your highness, you should not speak to these people.” A guard tried to move him along.

“And you should not tell me what I should and shouldn’t do, guardsman.” He turned back to the pair on their knees, narrowing his eyes. “Well? Speak. You have my precious attention.”

“I know I’m not the only one who needs help… but please. I’m begging you. I’m here from the Deadland, my home is dying. Please. I need to ask the king for help. Even if he says no, at least I would have tried. Please, I have to see him. I need to try and save my people but I can’t do it without help.” Donghun begged. 

“Deadland?” Something changed in Byeongkwan’s expression. “Guards, see that these two come through next.” He said simply and continued walking. 

Junhee let out a relieved breath. “God, Donghun you can’t just do that, I thought he was gonna have both our heads cut off!”

“But it worked, didn’t it?”

“That… That is not the point. You’re going to give me a weak heart, I swear.” He hauled himself up, back still sore from the horse despite the massages he’d been receiving each night and morning.

Donghun just shrugged and smiled triumphantly.

“When we’re called through just remember to be respectful. Don’t go close to the king and make sure you kneel. I don’t want to end up locked in a dungeon.”

“I promise I’ll conduct myself properly.”

It wasn’t long before they were called through by two guards. 

The throne room was even larger than the great hall. The floor was made of dazzling white marble from the mountains, inlayed with swirling patterns of silver, stretching out towards the silver shining throne where the king sat. Next to him Byeongkwan sat perched on a smaller throne, looking wildly amused, maybe even excited. 

The king was young, probably around the same age as Donghun or Junhee. His expression remained neutral and almost bored but he had a handsome face. His hair was blonde, but even lighter than Junhee’s, almost white. Atop his head was a silver crown, encrusted with sparkling jewels and black obsidian stones. 

Donghun instinctively touched the outside of his pocket where the pebble from the lake sat. 

“This is the one I told you about.” Byeongkwan grinned over at the king.

“Speak.” The king nodded to them. 

“Your highness. My name is Donghun.” He remembered to drop to his knees when Junhee did so beside him. “I’ve come to ask your help. I’m from the place you call the Deadland. I made the crossing across the Wastes and over the mountains to escape.”

“To escape what?” The king asked, his expression unchanging as stone, like the flawless marble which surrounded them. 

“To escape death. There’s only a few hundred of my people left. The desert will bury them all within the next couple of years, there won’t be any more wells left to dig, everything will be dead. The dust chokes us. The sun burns everything it touches. Everything is dying. Our home is cursed to become our tomb.”

“It’s my understanding all the people there died a long time ago. After they shut themselves off from the other kingdoms.” The king raised a brow. 

“Oh Sehyoon, don’t be like that. Just look at him. Look at those earrings. The stones. I know those stones and I know you do, too. I bet he even has tattoos all over him. Of course he’s from the Deadland. What a terrible amount of effort it would be to come here and lie about such a thing. And for what?” Byeongkwan interrupted and beckoned Donghun closer. “Stand and come here, show us those pretty beads.”

Donghun stood, looking back at Junhee before walking closer by a few steps, unsure of how close he should get. 

“The king doesn’t have the eyes of a falcon, come all the way over.” Byeongkwan rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, I bite but he doesn’t.” 

Swallowing, Donghun walked over to stand before the king and once again dropped to his knees. 

“Those stones. They’re only found in one place. There’s no other place where they’re spat out of the earth.” Byeongkwan leaned over.

The king reached out to touch an earring, one with two beads captured on it. 

“I have more.” Donghun rolled up his sleeve to show the long string of them coiled around his wrist, part of a tattoo also visible.

“And you?” The king looked to Junhee. “Who are you?”

“I found him almost dead on the edge of the forest at the foot of the mountains. I’m just a hunter from the town near the Glass Lake. My name is Junhee.”

“So… what help do you want from me?” The king sat back, folding his hands in his lap. 

“If people go out with pack animals and enough supplies, maybe we can bring those of us left here. Those who will want to come. Some will have no desire to leave their home or may to too sick to travel. But maybe a hundred or so can be saved.”

“How do I know you aren’t some sort of spy? How do I know your king doesn’t wish to invade? That I won’t be inadvertently supplying an army to cross the sands?” 

“I… I guess… you don’t know. But I wouldn’t lie! There is no more king, let alone an army.”“My own people have to be my priority.”

“I’m begging you, please!” Donghun pressed his forehead to the floor at the king’s feet. “Please. Please help me.” His voice wavered as tears dripped on the floor. 

The king sighed. “Alright. But on these conditions. Junhee will return with you to your homeland. He will see it with his own eyes and he will report back to me. He will also bring artefacts of your land as proof he’s actually been there. Only then, with assurance that what you’re saying is true, will I consider sending aid.” He paused. “And as a citizen of this land he will swear by the graves of his ancestors in front of his king and his gods that what he tells me is the truth.”

“It’s dangerous! I can’t expect him to—”

“I’ll do it.” Junhee cut in. 

“Then it’s settled.” The king nodded. 

“Where are you staying? If you’re from the Glass Lake you’ve had a long journey, yes? That’s near the edge of the ice fields, isn’t it?” Byeongkwan asked.

“I don’t know where we’ll stay yet, I supposed we’d find an inn.” Junhee blinked. 

“No, no. You’ll stay here. There’s a banquet to be held tomorrow night, stay until after that. Rest and gather your strength, you both look terrible.” Byeongkwan beamed excitedly. “We’ll have you fixed up to attend!”

“Byeongkwan, I don’t think—” The king started. 

“It’s my ball. I shall invite whoever I like.” Byeongkwan waved him off. “Besides, I’m bored of being the only foreigner in this palace. I’d like to speak to him, I’ve read a lot of books about his culture and I’m curious.” He pouted. “Besides, it would make me happy and you live for my happiness, don’t you?”

“Very well.” The king rubbed at his temples. 

“Thank you, my love.” Byeongkwan grinned widely before turning to the guards. “Find them a nice room, have the maids prepare a bath and see that they get a change of clothes. I shall pick something for them to wear tomorrow night.” The young man snapped his fingers impatiently. “Ah, and they’re probably hungry so have the kitchen prepare whatever they want to eat.”

. . .

Well fed and provided with clean clothing, Donghun slipped into a freshly prepared hot bath while Junhee was on the other aide of a paper screen painted delicately with small pink flowers. 

The room was far more opulent than what either of them had slept in before. The bed was covered with luxurious blankets and woven tapestries hung from the walls. The room was kept nicely warm by the constantly burning fire, the climate was still cold but not as cold as what Junhee was accustomed to

He’d changed into a simple silk robe, wanting to get out of his dirty travelling clothes as soon as possible while he waited his turn for the bath. Frankly, he was just glad to not have to roam the city looking for somewhere to sleep tonight. 

“You realise how dangerous it is to cross the wastes, right?” Came Donghun’s voice from the other side of the screen.

“Yes, considering you’re the only one who seems to have done it successfully.” He wasn’t stupid, he knew it would be dangerous. 

“Through sheer luck.” 

“But you did it. We’ll be prepared. Besides, I know how to navigate the mountains and the forest so that wont be a problem.”

“I’ve taken enough from you, Junhee. I’ve even dragged you away from your home and I can tell how much it pains you to be somewhere you don’t know. I don’t think I’d be able to live if you lost your life because of me.”

“I will guide us across the mountains. You will guide us across the sands. We’ll both survive and then we’ll come back and we’ll get help for your people.”

“You didn’t ask for me to appear in your life…” Donghun looked over to the screen, able to make out Junhee’s shape behind it. 

“No, but the gods must have known what’s good for me. Otherwise the forest wouldn’t have let you stay alive until I found you. I’m certainly not complaining.”

“Will you come around here? I don’t like talking to you from behind a screen.”

Donghun watched Junhee’s silhouette move until he appeared from behind the screen with his arms folded across his chest. The dark blue silk robe wrapped around his body, sleeves ending just below his elbows and the hem around his knees. 

“Come closer. Why are you scared of seeing me naked? Are all Othermen so scared of genitals?”

“I am not scared.” Junhee denied the accusation curtly. 

“Then why so shy, lover?” He teased, running a hand through his own wet hair.

“I’m being respectful. I’m sure you don’t want me leering at you.”

“Leer away, I don’t mind.”

“You should mind.” He was supposed to mind.

“Why? I like my body and I like that you like it.” Donghun mused brought his legs up to rest his ankles casually on the edge at the end of the tub. 

Junhee’s eyes flicked over bare legs, as if calculating what he might do next. With a small surge of confidence, he crossed the space between them, perching himself on the side of the bath and revelling in the surprise on Donghun’s face that he’d come right over. The silky material of his robe had slipped off the thigh that was on the edge of the tub, right in front of the other. 

Donghun licked his lips, mouth suddenly feeling very dry. 

Junhee was well aware of the flash of thigh he was showing, but emboldened by the look on the other man’s face, he didn’t bother to correct it. “Now you’re the one leering. Aren’t you going to tell me I’m beautiful again?” He smirked, teeth catching at the edge of his own lower lip. It was the first time he’d maybe believe it if he heard it. Because that’s how he felt, sat there being looked at as though he was some kind of precious temple artefact. 

“You’re beautiful.” Donghun brought his legs back down into the water and hesitantly raised his hand, letting it hover over Junhee’s leg as if he was expecting his touch to be rejected. When it wasn’t, he gently traced damp fingertips over soft skin. 

The blonde watched carefully as Donghun shifted to turn his body at a less awkward angle, his hands coming to push the thin material away from his thigh further, exposing it almost all the way up. Junhee swallowed and licked his lips, closing his eyes as he felt his large palm sweeping slowly along his skin. The touch of his hand was soon joined by lips, trailing kisses up higher and higher. 

“Beautiful.” Donghun murmured again, fingertips pressing into firm muscles ever so slightly as he let his tongue dart out to taste his skin.

Junhee let out in involuntary low, breathy moan when teeth teasingly scraped at his skin, followed by more kisses and licks. His own hand found it’s way into Donghun’s wet hair, fingers carding through it and tugging ever so slightly. There was heat pooling in the pit of his stomach, he could easily drown in the feeling of Donghun’s touch. Any sense of uncomfortable vulnerability over his lack of experience yielding to feeling like he had control over the situation. Even as Donghun sucked a small red mark onto his sensitive, pale skin.

“So pretty that even the sun doesn’t get to see you.” Donghun kissed over the small mark he’d left. “I’m so blessed to even be able to touch you just here. So blessed to be all yours. So beautiful.”

Junhee dared to crack his eyes open. He moved his hand from Donghun’s hair and stroked over the side of his face tenderly instead. God, he looked so gorgeous there with wet, golden tanned skin and dragging his mouth across his exposed flesh. 

Donghun nuzzled his cheek against his thigh before raising his head and looking up, eyes half lidded like he was drunk on the taste of him. “Let me worship you, Junhee.” He sounded like he was begging. The older’s eyes fluttered closed as Junhee traced his plush lower lip, fascinated by how it made Donghun’s breaths heavier and more ragged. 

Junhee’s heart jumped into his throat when Donghun parted his lips, taking his thumb into his mouth and sucking lightly on it while continued to kneed at his thigh. God, that made something tighten in his groin and he was getting breathless. The gentle sucking and the warm wet tongue was just so inviting to press down on just a little. 

Donghun hummed lowly around the digit in his mouth, sucking a little harder and pressing his tongue up into the pad of Junhee’s thumb. 

Junhee absolutely had no idea what he was doing, but it all just felt so right. 

But damn, he could feel himself getting carried away.

He couldn’t get carried away. 

Not just yet. 

He wasn’t ready for that. 

He pulled his thumb back slowly, dragging Donghun’s lip down and leaning in for them to share a hungry, open mouthed kiss. All tongues and hot breath, his other hand gripping firmly at Donghun’s shoulder. 

But then, as the heat threatened to boil over, Junhee pulled back. He slipped through Donghun’s fingers like smoke and left him panting and red faced with swollen lips still parted. An image he’d be sure to burn into his mind to revisit again. 

“Don’t take too long, I wanna take a bath before I go to sleep.” And with that, he disappeared back behind the screen with a satisfied little smirk. Pride swelling in his chest that he was able to reduce someone to looking so desperately needy.

“You’ll kill me but I’ll leave this world a happy man, Junhee!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read so far! :D He might be King Wow but we all know who’s the power behind the throne!
> 
> **NEXT TIME:** _It was nice to talk to someone who knew what it was like to be an outsider in a strange land full of strange customs. Not only that, Byeongkwan was well read and already had an understanding of his history and people._
> 
> _________
> 
> **In other news:** Hope you guys are all hanging in there and doing ok! I must admit being in lockdown here I am really missing being able to see my best friend right now :’( 
> 
> **In other other news:** My poor neighbours are currently having to put up with me trying to sing along to Untitled 2014…
> 
> Oh and come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheClamp2)! I post updates there and of course if anyone chooses to follow me I’ll follow you back ^_^  
> 


	6. Obsidian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s like another world for Junhee, but Donghun seems to easily take change in his stride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! :D I hope you enjoy! Oops... over 8000 words this time but I didn’t wanna split it up!
> 
> Warning for a lil bit of explicit content in this chapter

It was early when Junhee woke up, his body clock never allowing him to sleep far past dawn.

He shifted experimentally, his back feeling much better for having slept on a comfortable bed. He still ached, though. Looking over, he saw Donghun of course still sleeping peacefully. His hair spayed out around his head, lips slightly parted and his cheek squished up by the soft pillow under him. 

His thoughts drifted over to where those lips had been last night. How soft they were as they made their way up his naked thigh. Oh, what if he’d let Donghun keep going? Where would he have stopped? Donghun was experienced, he knew what he was doing and wasn’t shy at all. 

Ah, these were not helpful thoughts to have first thing in the morning. 

He carefully extracted himself from under the sleeping man’s arm, slipping out of bed and padding across the room to look out of the window. From here he could make out a sea of rooftops beyond the palace walls. Grey slate tile roofs with thin dustings of snow on them.

He sighed heavily and moved away from the window to curiously look around the room. There was a shelf of decorative items, ornaments and some books bound in leather. He pulled one from the shelf at random and flicked through it carefully, afraid he might tare the paper. Books were a luxury of the rich, even the common man living in the capital would go their lives without opening one. Stories were passed down verbally. 

Junhee settled back into the bed, catching a flash of the small red mark Donghun had left on his thigh. He pulled the fabric of the robe aside to look properly at it. The sight of it stirred something in him. Not only that, he also found he rather liked the thought of doing the same to Donghun, too. Leaving a mark on that decorated, tanned skin. 

Again, chasing such thoughts away, he pulled the blankets back up over himself while he looked through the pages of the book. Each one had a picture skilfully laid onto it with a few lines of perfectly neatly presented writing underneath. It was probably a book of children’s tales. He even recognised an illustration which was probably from the story of the mouse born without a tail and another from the story of a singing woman who wanders the cliffs of the black coast. 

He looked through the pages for a long while, taking in the intricate details of the artwork. 

At some point, Donghun stirred next to him, shifting to sleepily press a kiss to the back of the hand holding the book. “Mhh what are you reading?”

“I’m not reading it... I’m just looking at it.” Ah, Donghun had mentioned the reason he could speak the unified language was so he could use the writing system, hadn’t he? So he could read and write. 

“Looks better than the books at home.” He peppered a few chaste little kisses up Junhee’s arm before nuzzling his face against his shoulder. “There isn’t much left of the king’s library these days. The books fall apart terribly.” He mumbled, voice still a little rough from sleep.

“Will you read some of this?” 

“Now?” Donghun sat up a little and yawned, rubbing at his sleepy eyes. 

“Yeah.” He handed over the book, it was opened to a page with an illustration of a pretty woman sitting at a window. 

“What? You don’t believe me or something?” Donghun took the book, squinting at the page. “I should warn you, I’m not very good.” He scanned over the page a few times before beginning to read. “She sat beside the window da…” He frowned a little as he sounded out the word in his head, deciding what to do with the letter _I_. “Daily. But no matter how long she gazed o…out at the gard— garden, the snowdrops would never bloom.” He turned the page to an illustration of a flower. “Is this a snowdrop?” 

“Yeah, they’re actually due to bloom soon, actually.” 

Looking back to the page, he continued to read. “All across the land, the snowdrops pushed t—th… th…” He pointed to the word he was stuck on. “How do you say this? T. H. R. O. U. G. H.” He spelled it out. 

“I don’t know.” Junhee was looking down at his hands, rather than at the page. “I can’t read.”

“Oh.” Donghun seemed surprised by that.

“It’s not just me.” Junhee tried to defend himself. “It isn’t considered necessary, especially in outer provinces. And even in the city, most people don’t read all that well, if at all. Especially the poor.” Sure, there were schools in the large towns and the cities, but as he understood it, education was still a privilege of the wealthier classes. Even though education wasn’t for all, people from the outer regions were often mocked as most couldn’t sign their own names. “Most people will never see a book in their lives. They’re incredibly expensive things.” 

“They’re expensive? Huh… not everybody at home can read, either. There’s not much else to do a lot of the time, though. And at least it’s something which expends little energy if you’re weak. I always try to get Yuchan to practice but he really hates it.”

There was a brisk knock at the door. 

“Uh, yes?” Junhee sat up straighter. 

“His Highness the Prince Consort asks if you would like to join him for breakfast as his guests this morning.” Came a voice from the other side of the door.

“Ah breakfast! Yes!” Donghun answered quickly, closing the book and setting it on the bedside table.

“You and your stomach.” Junhee laughed. 

“I shall return to escort you both soon.” The voice said, followed by the sound of footsteps leaving. 

“I’m so hungry.” Donghun pouted his lips in that far-too-cute way that he did. 

“Maybe I should leave you here, it clearly takes a king’s fortune to afford your eating habits.”

“Don’t leave me behind, you’re the most delicious thing I’ve tasted.” Donghun rolled over to bite the top of Junhee’s arm playfully, making him squark. 

“Yah! Why do you bite!?” Junhee shoved at him, causing Donghun to roll himself off the bed dramatically onto the floor. 

“Junhee is beautiful, but he’s so mean.” He mock-whined, laying flat out on his back on the floorboards. 

“Get up and get dressed, you big baby.” 

. . . 

They were lead by a guard into a room with a large window looking over the garden. It wasn’t massive but it was decorated with pretty wall hangings and had a table set for three. There were silver plates set out and a mixture of fruits, bread, pots of honey and some meats in the middle. The bread was obviously freshly baked, the aroma filling the air. 

“His highness will be with us shortly.” The man took his place at the door. 

Donghun moved to take a seat but was stopped by Junhee’s hand on his shoulder. “I’m certain we aren’t supposed to sit until instructed.”

“Why not?

“Because people are expected to treat royalty as though they’re above them.” He said quietly, aware of the guard.

“But they’re just people, too.”

Yes, Donghun had a point. Junhee could see that, especially since royalty was such an abstract concept of his life. “That’s just the way it is. Besides, he could have us thrown in a cell to rot if we upset him.”

“Because we sat down? That’s stupid.” He went to grab some food from the table but was stopped again, Junhee slapping his hand. 

“In anyone’s home it’s rude to eat before your host.”

“I eat before you all the time.”

“That’s different because I don’t care.” He bit his own lower lip for a moment. “Besides, you aren’t a guest in my home… I hope you know you can consider my home to be your home, too.”

Donghun smiled and hooked his pinky finger around Junhee’s at their sides. “Thank you, Junhee.”

Warmth settled comfortably in the blonde’s chest, nestling in. 

Byeongkwan suddenly appeared through the door in a flurry of colour and noise, busy dismissing a member fo his staff who was trying to fuss about how his attire was inappropriate for taking guests. The Prince Consort was draped in a long, flowing red silk robe which hung open and swept the floor behind him. Underneath were some light coloured loose trousers and a bare chest adorned by gold and jade necklaces of varying lengths. 

“Just because I’m married to the king now doesn’t mean I’ll dress like a stuffy old man. I’ll walk around the palace naked if the mood strikes me. Now leave me be.” He waved the woman away, plonking himself down in a chair at the table, eyes flicking up to the pair still standing there. “Sit.” 

“Thank you for inviting us to breakfast, your highness.” Junhee dipped his head, sitting down. 

“Thank you very much.” Donghun sat and grabbed one of the apples from the table, taking a huge bite. 

Byeongkwan laughed as Junhee snatched the apple from him. “Donghun I literally just told you not to start eating yet.” He scolded. 

“I forgot.” 

“Of all the people to break etiquette with, it’s a prince, hm?” Byeongkwan looked highly amused. 

“Sorry, I did tell him to wait.”

“But I’m hungry.” Donghun grabbed the apple back.

The guard snorted at that. 

“Guardsman.” Byeongkwan turned to look at the man. “Do you have an opinion?”

“No, your highness.” 

“Perhaps you’d be so kind as to go take this to my husband so he doesn’t forget to eat.” He grabbed a plate and added some bread and cured meat to it. “While you’re at it, please explain that you enjoy snorting at our guests as though you’re some sort of pig. I’m sure he’ll love to hear all about it.”

“Your highness—”

“Leave us before I become irritated.” He kept his sharp eyes locked on the guard as the man took the plate and left. Only then did the prince turn back to his guests with a smile. “Sorry about that. Please, eat.” 

Donghun had already taken another bite of the apple and grabbed a piece of warm, freshly baked bread. 

“He’s really sorry, your highness.” Junhee apologised on Donghun’s behalf, concerned Byeongkwan might get angry at them, too.

“Why am I sorry?” 

Junhee elbowed him.

Byeongkwan smiled genuinely. “He doesn’t need to be sorry and please don’t look so uncomfortable, Junhee. Enjoy breakfast, please. It’s nice to enjoy the company of people who don’t look down on me behind my back.”

“Sorry.”

“No more apologies.” He reached over and grabbed an orange coloured fruit, peeling the skin off it. “Did you sleep well?”

“Very, thank you.” Junhee relaxed a little as the Prince Consort’s demeanour softened around the edges. There was just something about sitting in the presence of somebody who technically held power over his life at a snap of his fingers if he wanted to. That made him naturally uneasy. 

“The bed was so comfy. Oh and the bath was amazing.” Donghun glanced over at Junhee just in time to see his ears turning pink at the memory. 

“Good!” 

Junhee picked at the bread. 

“I’ve never been out to see the corners of this country, all I’ve seen of it is maps and drawings. It seems beautiful, though. The Glass Lake is one of the largest in the nation, I believe. I bet it’s quite a sight to behold.”

“It is.”

“You’re homesick, aren’t you? What do you miss most?” The young man asked.

“The forest.”

“Then perhaps you’d both like to take a walk in the garden after breakfast. The birds are just starting to return after the winter. I know it isn’t the same, but it’s lovely and peaceful if you found the city overwhelming.” He pulled away a segment of the fruit and placed it in his mouth, chewing slowly. “Oh, that reminds me. Don’t leave immediately tomorrow morning, I want to ensure you have plenty of supplies to take with you for your journey home.”

They ate a leisurely breakfast, Junhee becoming more relaxed. Byeongkwan wasn’t as intimidating when they were alone. The harshness he carried had dropped away entirely. Junhee supposed he’d be irritated too if people were constantly following him around and fussing over him. 

. . .

The pair spent most of the day in the garden, just sitting out and listening to the birds. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, peacefulness making time scurry by easily. It did wonders to calm Junhee’s frazzled nerves. 

A maid had even brought lunch out to them after a while, which made Donghun ridiculously happy.

Junhee had sat under a tree, his back resting against the trunk and humming a tune while Donghun laid down with his head resting in his lap. He didn’t even notice himself doing it right away but he’d been running his fingers continuously through Donghun’s hair. 

At some point he looked down to see he’d fallen asleep. 

“Donghun?” He smiled softly when there was no response. “You look beautiful when you sleep. You’ve got me so in love with you, y’know.” He murmured quietly, not wanting to wake him. “Good thing you sleep like the dead, isn’t it? My grandmother would have said that someone like you could sleep on a chicken’s lip.” Then again… would it be so bad if he’d woken up and heard him? 

What had he done to deserve someone like this to come into his life? Just as Junhee had resigned himself to his solitude stretching on forever. He didn’t ever think love would be an option which was open to him. But it had found him anyway. It came all the way from a distant land, far away from anything he’d ever dreamt about.

The sun shone through the breaks in the clouds, chasing away some of the chill in the air. Junhee proceeded to while away the afternoon by idly braiding Donghun’s hair into small plaits, leaving the poor brunette a little confused when he awoke with half his hair like it. Junhee had been unable to stop the giggles from bubbling over as he watched him trying to untangle his wavy curls from the small braids just in time for a guard to come and collect him. Apparently he’d been sent to bring before the Prince Consort.

. . .

Byeongkwan’s room was completely different to the rest of the palace. It was far warmer, with two fireplaces blazing and the walls were completely covered in elegant paintings and fine textiles. The furniture was carved ornately from a dark reddish coloured wood and there were trinkets and ornaments everywhere. Drawers and chests overflowed with sparkling jewellery and brightly coloured fabrics, even the floors had discarded silks in piles. 

In one corner there was a hanging birdcage with a pretty songbird chirping away. Donghun stared at it curiously as he walked by, wondering why someone would have such a thing. 

“Cute, isn’t he?” Byeongkwan was still dressed much the same, except he’d changed the heavily embroidered red robe for a purple one with a simple gold pattern which he still wore hanging open.

“Pretty…” The bird was small with a round body. It’s wings were mottled brown and the feathers covering it’s breast were lighter in colour and had fluffier in texture. It’s face was mostly white but lines of darker colouration crossed over it from around it’s beak and it had tufts of dark feathers atop it’s head.

“My father sent one with me when I first came here. He sends a new one whenever the old one dies.”

Donghun turned his attention to the rest of the room. There was a lot to take in but of all the colourful and shining things in the room, his attention settled on small pink flower set in glass. He gravitated towards it, looking curiously.

Byeongkwan noticed what he was looking at and picked it up to hold up to the light. “It’s from the trees in the imperial palace garden back home. I used to get very homesick. Sehyoon was still the crown prince at the time and he sent people to bring back a cherry tree for me. It didn’t survive the journey back here and it isn’t the right climate for the seeds to grow.” He handed the piece of glass over for Donghun to look at. “When his father died and he became king, my father invited Sehyoon to go to the east and choose one of my eight sisters to marry, a diplomatic union for our nations. I had to remain here while he was gone. My heart was broken, I missed him but also dreaded his return with one of my sisters. I couldn’t bare the thought of his arm around another. But instead, he returned with this flower which he had preserved in the glass. He’d refused my sisters and asked my father if it could be me who he married.” He smiled fondly at the memory. “I used to spend hours of the day looking out the window waiting for spring. Now I have spring encased in glass. Sometimes pretty things need to be trapped.”

“He must love you a lot. Junhee said some people here are uncomfortable with men loving each other.”

Byeongkwan laughed. “A lot of people are stuck in their ways and don’t like change so progressiveness is slow to take hold. Don’t worry about it. Generally I don’t think people care much these days unless you show up as a temptress from a distant land and seduce the king-to-be.” He smiled proudly.

“Is that why you came here? For him?”

“No, my father sent me here when I was a kid. He sent me to study so that I’d grow up to be an asset as a diplomat. I was also supposed to keep young prince Sehyoon company but I hated him at first.” He flitted over to the bird cage and opened the side, removing the tiny twittering creature and letting it perch on his fingers. “I hated everything here. I felt so alone. So different and so far from home.” He crossed the room back to Donghun. “Hold out your had like mine.”

Donghun set the delicate bloom back down on the table and held out his hand as instructed. 

“The songbird was my only friend here. I used to refuse to speak to Sehyoon at first. He would sit there talking a one-sided conversation until I spoke back.” He held his hand down next to Donghun’s, gently encouraging the bird to hop from one to the other. “It’s funny because everyone probably thinks I seduced him, but he charmed me with his gentle demeanour and his kind smile.”

Donghun raised his hand and looked at the sweet little bird, entranced and cocking his head at it. “Junhee charmed me with his smile, too.”

“Ah, I knew you were in love. I could tell.”

“How?” 

“Because I have functioning eyes.” Byeongkwan laughed. “Besides, he wouldn’t have come all the way here or agreed to head out to the Deadland to help you if he didn’t care deeply for you. Northern folk are very set in their ways, especially those from the outer provinces. Their homes are all they know and rarely travel far.”

“I’m really worried that he doesn’t understand what it’ll be like. He says he understands but I really don’t think he does.” 

“True, probably doesn’t know what he’s in for. After all, how can you understand something you have almost no concept of? Of course he doesn’t understand exactly what lies ahead but he’s probably suitably terrified, anyway. Purely because it’s the unknown.” 

That really didn’t make Donghun feel any better about the situation. 

“Now, put Cow back in his cage so that I can dress you up all handsomely for tonight.”

“Cow…?” Now Donghun was incredibly confused. A cow was one of the big creatures in the fields they’d passed on their travels, right? A large beast almost as tall as their horse? 

Byeongkwan laughed loudly and opened the door of the bird cage. “I named my first one that out of spite and I give them all the same name.”

“Why?” He questioned, tentatively placing the tiny bird back into it’s cage. “Because they don’t live long and coming up with a new name each time might make me remember that fact.” He closed the door after checking there was enough water and seeds. “Now then, undress yourself for me.” He clapped his hands together. “Ah, but go behind the dressing screen if you’re shy.”

“I’m not shy. Is everyone here so shy?”

Byeongkwan shrugged. “It’s pretty common to not want others to see your body here. It’s cute, no? I had to go to Sehyoon’s room every night for three nights and sit naked on top of him in his bed before he yielded to me.”

“Ah I think if I sat naked on top of Junhee he’d probably die or just yell at me.” Donghun laughed at the thought of how the blonde would react. 

He began undressing himself, making sure to lay his clothes neatly on the chair.

Meanwhile, the young man was rummaging around in a large chest of drawers. “Hmm… it’ll be warm enough in the grand hall to show a little skin, too. Your skin is gorgeous, by the way. Like honey and soft sunlight.” He stood and turned, letting out small gasp as the last layer of clothing dropped from Donghun’s upper body. “Oh wow… I read about the tattooing tradition in your country.” He peered closer, wide-eyed in almost childlike wonder. “Sorry, is it ok if I look?”

“Of course.” 

“Some of these are very intricately done.” He looked at the patterns coming down from his shoulder and then at the black sun symbol. “This is the symbol of your god, right?”

“Yeah. They say the ancient king became obsessed with his treasures, determined to keep them safe from the other nations. He preyed to the sun god every day that the sun should only shine on his land, so that the treasures would glitter in the light. But the sun god was disgusted by the king’s greed, so he gave him what he asked for. The sun shone and shone, it cooked the land and the rain no longer fell.” 

“So fascinating.” Byeongkwan looked over him shamelessly, not that Donghun minded. His tattoos were made to be seen by people. He was proud of them and what they meant. 

“That reminds me, you wouldn’t happen to have some kind of pin or sewing needle I could take, do you?”

“A pin?”

“It just has to be really sharp.”

“Are you going to use it for a tattoo?”

“Hopefully.” 

“May I watch?” The prince asked. 

“No. It’s something to be shared between the people involved, not observed.”

Byeongkwan looked a little surprised at first, but the look quickly changed into a wide smile. “Usually I hate being told no, but in this case I’m content to be denied. I understand. I shall see what I can do.” He pulled a red swathe of material from the chest of drawers and held it up to Donghun. “Oh I’m sad, I was thinking of dressing you in red but actually... I don’t like it so much now I see it.” He threw the material on the floor. “What colours do you like?”

“I just wear what Junhee gives me.”

“Hmmm… I sent my handmaid with some lovely deep green silk for him so maybe I should dress you a colder colour, too.” He stood back and rummaged in a closet, finding something in an opulent shade of blue. “This!” He threw the silk shirt his way. “Try it on. The size will adjust easily.”

Donghun did what he was told, pulling it on and fastening it at the side. He let the young prince fuss with his clothes and add and take away things, adjusting the fit and scrutinising him. It went on for a while and he wondered what exactly the young man was so desperately trying to achieve. 

He would have complained about being treated as a doll, but Byeongkwan seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. Donghun even allowed him to fuss with his hair, bringing the strands that usually hung over his eyes up and securing them up off his forehead with pretty gold hair pins, some with small, sparkly gems on them.

Then came the makeup. Something Donghun was less convinced about, not really liking the idea of someone poking around his eyes with a brush. 

“Stop pulling faces, I won’t poke you in the eye.” Byeongkwan assures him while he dusted a subtle reddish brown pigment across Donghun’s eyelids, smudging it out at the outer corners. “Junhee won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

“Because I have colours on my face and clothes?”

“Because you look amazing.” He licked his thumb and used it to correct a small mistake. “You look like artwork. People are going to be jealous.”

“Because of the makeup?”

“Because you’re handsome and unique and I’ve simply accentuated that.”

Donghun wasn't entirely convinced by the whole fuss. He’d rather Junhee not be able to keep his hands off him while he just looked like himself. As for everyone else, he didn’t care about their opinion or whether they were jealous or not. Still, he was happy to indulge the young prince. Not simply because he was royalty, that didn’t matter to Donghun. But because his intentions were good and he seemed to enjoy having some company. 

Byeongkwan stood back to admire his work. “Perfect. I won’t put any stain on your lips, I wouldn't want you to outshine me.” He winked. “Oh! I just remembered!” He whipped around and began rummage through an overflowing jewellery box.

Donghun peered at himself in the mirror. It was kind of nice to not have his hair annoyingly in his eyes, he kind of liked it. And the blue colour of his clothes accentuated his skin tone well. He looked closer at his eyes, they looked bigger with the lightly applied powder around them. Maybe there was something to all this. 

“My family’s dynasty has ruled for hundreds of years and so we’ve picked up a few ancient treasures along the way. I studied the cultures of different nations and I happen to know this stone is only found in your homeland.” He drew out a long beaded necklace, the stones the same greenish blue as the ones Donghun wore. “I remember reading that these things are passed down between family and loved ones after their death. They mean a lot to people, right?”

“Y-Yes.” Donghun nodded, looking at the beads. Those must have been taken from someone at some point. All those memories. All those loved ones. He would be devastated if he ever lost even a single one of his. 

“Take it. It’s more yours than mine.” He held out the necklace. “I have no right to it.”

Donghun slowly took it, turning the familiar stones over in his hands. 

“I have more jewellery than I can ever wear in a lifetime, anyway.” Byeongkwan flopped himself down on the bed. 

“Thank you. I have no rite to it, either. But I’ll keep it safe and take it back home where it belongs…” He placed it in the pocket of his trousers. He remembered then to around for the piece of obsidian and the coins in the pocket of his discarded clothes, the items away along with the necklace. 

. . . 

Junhee had been brought some evening clothes to wear, they were high quality but he expected no less. The black shirt was of a familiar design and material, but he wasn’t used to it being his only real layer of clothing and so he felt somewhat exposed. The trousers were also made of thinner material than he was used to. The decorative buckle on his belt was large and made from brightly shining silver, as was the brooch attached to the rich emerald green silk sash crossing over his body. He’d made an effort, styling his hair up nicely. 

He stood in a corner alone, sipping a little too quickly at a goblet of wine. It was crowded as people milled around the floorspace surrounding a long table of food and wine. Musicians played merry tunes and there was a smile on every face. 

Everyone was dressed up in such ridiculous finery, items which probably cost more money than he’d see in his lifetime. It made him feel a little uncomfortable about laughing at Donghun when he thought Junhee had been wealthy. Is this how he’d felt? Guilt twisted in his stomach, the feeling mixing with the awkward sense of not belonging. It was like every single person in the room could see right through his borrowed clothes and look directly at the young man from an outer province. Someone who lives day to day from the land, stuck in his ways, unable to write his name, superstitiously burning bundles of white sage and carrying around lucky heather. 

Where on earth was Donghun? 

He looked around, his keen eyes scanning the busy room. Finally, he spotted him entering with Byeongkwan. 

Junhee held his breath. 

Oh.

Donghun looked stunning. 

So strikingly alluring with his clothes colourful and much like those supposedly worn by the people of the Eastern Empire. Sapphire blue silk clinging perfectly to his frame. The sleeves ended at his elbows and the neckline was low enough to show his collarbones and tease glimpses of the ink on his chest. His hair was pulled back from his face and Junhee could catch flashes of something sparkling there. Of course, he still wore all his own jewellery.

Junhee watched as Donghun was being introduced around to people, lead around and shown off by the Prince Consort like he was a pretty painting. He was smiling and dipping his head to people, not looking uncomfortable at all. Even though all this must have all been strange for him, too. Probably more so. 

God, how the tables had turned. Outside his comfort zone, now he was the one struggling. Donghun took it all in his stride, adapting to change so well. 

Here was Junhee. Wishing he was sitting alone in the forest, listening to the birds in the trees. Well, maybe these days he didn’t want to be entirely alone. 

Donghun spotted him and waved, beckoning him over. 

He took another gulp of wine and crossed the room. The closer he got, the more details he noticed on the older. He was wearing makeup on his eyes and he could see the gold hair pins clearly now. 

“Junhee, you look so handsome! You’re like a prince.” Byeongkwan clapped his hands together. “Do you like what I’ve done to Donghun? Isn’t he beautiful?”

Junhee nodded dumbly and openly stared. 

“You look really nice, Junhee.”

“You look breathtaking.” Junhee could hardly look away. 

“Is makeup and pretty clothes what it takes for you to notice that?” Donghun teased. 

No. Donghun had always been breathtaking. From the first moment he saw his face. “No. Sorry. I should really say it more openly.”

“I’ll leave you two alone. If you excuse me, I have to go pretend to enjoy the company of some boring, dusty old councilmen that apparently I just _have_ to invite to everything.” With a bored roll of his eyes, Byeongkwan flitted away. “Enjoy yourselves!” He called back.

“You won’t let me comb your hair out but you’ll let the Prince Consort style it?”

“You’re too rough. I thought you were about to pull my head off. For such small hands, they sure are harsh.” Donghun teased. 

Junhee jabbed his shoulder with his finger. “Again, my hands aren’t small. Yours are just huge.” He held up a hand to demonstrate, his index and middle finger calloused from a lifetime of gripping arrows. “I don’t know why anyone would even need hands that big.”

“Cute.” Donghun held his palm up against his. 

“Shush.” He gently scolded, taking his hand back as he drank what was remaining of his wine. “Do you want some?”

“What is it?”“Wine, a kind of alcohol.”

“No, I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of all these people. Only you get to see me be a fool.” He looked around at the room, watching the people dancing. “Can we dance together?”

“Yes but I need another glass of wine, first.”

“You can teach me how.”

“God help you, then.” Junhee laughed, already more comfortable in his surroundings with Donghun there. 

Inevitably, Junhee only got about half way down his next glass before he had to abandon it. Donghun had decided the dancing looked like far too much fun to wait. And since their hands had found each other’s at some point, Junhee was dragged along with him.

“If we’re doing this, bare with me.” Junhee raised their hands which were intertwined and placed his other on the small of Donghun’s back. “Place your other hand on my shoulder.” 

Donghun complied. “like this?” “Now, I believe we go like this.” Junhee lead him to the tune of the music, trying to remember some of the steps. 

“Wait, you’re going too fast for me.” 

“Because I’m trying to remember how to do it properly.” All the dancing Junhee ever really did was in the tavern where nobody cared.

A commotion came from the table at the front of the room where the king sat. 

“Your highness, please come down before you injure yourself!” A member of the royal staff was trying to coax Byeongkwan down from the table he was dancing on.

“I trust someone will catch me if I fall!” He was far too busy dancing to care. 

“Byeongkwan, please come down from there.” The king piped up, voice gentle rather than the stern way he’d addressed Donghun and Junhee with the previous day. 

“Why?” The Prince Consort asked indignantly. 

“Would you not rather sit with me instead?” The king arched his brow.

“Hmm... You’re right.” He jumped down from the table and plonked himself down in the king’s lap, draping his arms around his neck. 

“I think he has the right idea for dancing.” Donghun began leading Junhee around, moving however he felt the music pulled them. “I think it’s more fun if you make it up as you go along, no?”

“He can do it because he can do whatever he wants.” Junhee laughed giddily as Donghun yanked him around. 

“I’ll do whatever I want, too.” Donghun grinned playfully. “I’ll just blame my ignorance.”

“Ah, very well.” Junhee pulled away a little and spun around before letting go of Donghun entirely and dancing however he pleased, just like he would in the town tavern. 

Donghun watched adoringly, taking in the sight of Junhee being so carefree and truly treasuring the image. He soon joined in, finding these clothes far easier to move his body in compared to the thick clothing he’d had to wear to protect from the cold. 

They danced most of the night away, only pausing for Donghun to indulge in the table full of delicious food a few times while Junhee caught his breath and ate a few things he recognised. The blonde couldn’t stop noticing the way people looked at Donghun, though. Especially when he danced. They were looks of admiration and even envy. It made him dance all the closer to him. 

While they danced, Junhee felt light on his feet but a heaviness in his chest came over him when Donghun pulled him especially close, they were both panting and out of breath. 

“You’re beautiful.” Donghun’s lips were teasingly close to his own. They were breathing each other’s air, sharing it. 

“You’re the beautiful one, haven’t you noticed everyone looking at you tonight?”

“No, I was too busy looking at you.”

“Everyone’s looking at you…” He closed his eyes and leaned down, hot breath ghosting over Donghun’s throat. “I’m jealous. I want you all to myself.”

“Then have me to yourself. Let’s go back to our room.”

. . .

Junhee felt high when the heavy oak door closed behind them. He didn’t have time to think before Donghun crushed their lips together. All he could do was groan as hands settled firmly on his waist and the older’s lips explored his neck. He licked at his pulse point while Junhee’s back met the walk. 

Junhee was struggling to catch his breath in the flurry of it all. He found himself being pulled away from the wall and guided towards the bed. 

They separated only momentarily when the back of Donghun’s legs hit the bed and he released Junhee while sat himself in the middle of the mattress. He was giving Junhee the choice, the room to breathe and think. He wasn’t going to push him. 

The image of Byeongkwan sitting himself in the king’s lap and the way the other man looked at him flashed into Junhee’s mind. He looked down at Donghun, sat there with his clothes disheveled. 

That look of adoration. It was like an addiction now. 

Junhee pushed himself forward and straddled his lap, bringing their mouths back together in a messy kiss. Donghun felt like he belonged to him and it drove him wild. Junhee could feel himself being pulled in, allowing himself to indulge in such thoughts. That heat was pooling in his abdomen and finding it’s way down to his crotch again. 

Donghun’s hand began to comb through his hair and down to cradle the side of his face as he licked more into Junhee’s mouth, sucking on his tongue. The other hand wandered from his wist to the small of his back, firm but not forceful. 

“Junhee.” Donghun gripped the back of his shirt when the blonde kissed experimentally at his neck, trying to find a spot that would make him gasp. 

Junhee had loved it when Donghun kissed his neck, he hoped he’d like it, too. He must have found somewhere sensitive because suddenly the brunette gasped sharply. 

Oh god… Something about that made Junhee hungry. He instinctively rolled his hips forward into him and oh— Donghun was hard and he was growing hard, himself. The friction caused him to clench his jaw around a whine to stop it flying out. 

“Please, Junhee.” Donghun begged, tugging he silk sash off him to start pulling at the buttons of his shirt. 

And just like that, his confidence melted away like a snowflake landing on a warm cheek. He grabbed Donghun’s wrists to halt his actions. “Wait, Donghun. I haven’t— I’m a— Just so we’re clear, I-I’ve never had sex.”

“I know. And I wouldn’t have you do anything you didn’t want to.”

Junhee’s grip loosened a little. He wanted. Oh, how he wanted. But he was scared. So damn scared. Scared of making a fool of himself? Yeah. But mostly afraid of being hurt. “You can have me... But only if you love me.” He locked their gaze together. “Don’t you dare take that part of me away if you don’t.”

“Junhee… beautiful Junhee. Of course I love you. I love you so, so desperately.” He turned his hands caught in Junhee’s grip around and laced their fingers together. “I would love to share our bodies together but only if and _when_ you want it. Otherwise, I am perfectly content to worship whatever small slip of skin you deem me worthy of and I’ll kiss you until my lips tire.”

“I want you… with all my heart. I’m just… nervous.” He should tell him he loves him, too. He really should. But god, why was it so hard to say those words when he was listening? “You know what you’re doing and I don’t have a clue.”

“Just do what feels right. Tell me, did you like it when I kissed you the way I did last night?” He guided Junhee’s hands to his shoulders, leaving them there while he took ahold of his hips and brought him in just a little closer in his lap. 

“Yes.”

Donghun began to guide him to rock in his lap a little. A gentle, tentative friction rising between them and making Junhee’s breaths come out quicker again. 

“Did you like it when I sucked on your thumb? And when you pressed my tongue down?” 

Junhee’s eyes slipped closed. It felt so good and he took some initiative to angle his hips a little better. “Yes. Is that... is that bad? Is that something weird?” Junhee had just loved the feeling of being so wanted, so worshiped. 

“No. It just means it’s something you like. I like it, too. I like when you feel good.”

Junhee could feel the blood rushing between his legs more and more. He let his head drop forward onto the other’s shoulder as rocked there in his lap. 

“Do you like this right now?” Donghun purred. 

“Yes.” The blonde hissed. 

“I don’t intend on doing anything too much tonight but if you’ll trust me I’d love to make you feel good.” He rolled them over so that he was on top, straddling Junhee on the bed. 

Junhee swallowed his nerves. “Have me.”

“Just tell me to stop if it isn’t something you like. Or tell me of here’s something you’d like me to do.” He swooped down and kissed him, hands nimbly working on opening the younger’s shirt again, quickly revealing an expense of smooth, pale skin. But he knew Junhee was shy and so he didn’t push him to remove it entirely. 

“Take yours off.” 

“Yes, your highness.” Donghun joked, sitting up straight and unfastening his shirt easily. He kept his eyes trained on Junhee’s reaction as he discarded the thin fabric. “You can touch, if you like.”

Junhee reached out, but rather than touching his body, he began to remove the hair pins neatly placed in his hair. “I like it better a mess.” He ruffled the now freed hair and swept his hands down over his shoulders and chest, shifting to his back when Donghun leaned down to kiss him lovingly. 

Junhee felt hot and tingly all over as the action pressed their crotches back together, making his hips twitch upwards. 

“You taste so good.” Donghun growled as he gradually made his way down his body, peppering searing kisses wherever he went. He stopped to lick over a small, perky nipple and make the blonde shiver. “I want to taste more. Can I?” He tugged a little at the heavy silver belt buckle. 

“Yes.” God, Junhee was trembling with electricity, his fingertips skittering over whatever of Donghun’s heated skin he could reach. 

“Can I take these off?” He asked, unfastening Junhee’s belt. 

“Y-Yeah.”

When the older tugged his trousers off, Junhee covered his own face with his arm at the exposure and biting his lip hard when he felt the air hitting his erection. He made a noise of complaint when his arm was pulled away. 

“Don’t hide your face. You don’t need to be embarrassed. You’re perfect.” He wrapped his long fingers around him, stroking steadily. 

“Oh god—” Junhee jolted in surprise, fingertips digging into Donghun’s shoulders. 

“Did you not expect that?” Donghun was holding back a little laugh and it was evident in his tone. 

“D-Don’t make fun of me.” Junhee leaned up and bit sharply onto the firm flesh of his shoulder. 

“Ah—! Who bites now?” Donghun almost looked triumphant, giving him another squeeze before kissing his way back down his body and pulling Junhee’s trousers off all the way. He let him squirm and buck his hips up into his hand for a short amount of time until he couldn’t resist temptation anymore. 

He pressed a kiss to the crease at the junction at the top of his leg where it met his hip, feeling him shudder a little under his touch as he pushed his legs apart further. “You’re beautiful. Are you bored of hearing that yet?”

“N-No.”

“Then you haven’t heard it enough.” 

Donghun grinned for a second and gave a long lick up the underside of Junhee’s erection with the flat of his tongue. 

“God—!” The blonde covered his own mouth with his hand. 

“I’d love it if you look at me, Junhee. With those beautiful eyes.” 

Junhee looked down just in time to see Donghun taking the head his length into his gorgeous mouth and smirking around it before taking him in further. 

“Donghun— Feels so good.” Junhee choked on a ragged moan. Oh how he wanted to tangle his fingers into the other’s hair. The welcoming warmth of his mouth was intoxicating. Every bob of his head and slide of his tongue sending him spiralling deeper into bliss. 

Donghun hummed around him, feeling him twitch in his mouth. He had a hand firmly on his hip bone, not wanting him to buck his hips up too much. But god, he needed some release of his own. He palmed himself through his clothes with his free hand but it just wasn't enough to be satisfying. 

The sounds that came out of Junhee were gorgeous and so damn addictive that it was driving him crazy. Junhee tasted so good, precome leaking out onto his tongue. When he felt a hand curl into his hair and grip gently, he couldn’t help but moan from deep in his chest. 

He pulled off with a wet pop, panting hard and red cheeked while he hurriedly pushed his own trousers down his thighs to free himself. 

He caught the slightly scared look in the blonde’s eyes and huffed a breathless laugh. “Don’t panic. I’m not about to flip you over and take you.” He assured him, watching the wide-eyed gaze turn to a look of curiosity as he gave himself a few strokes. He kicked the remaining garments off entirely, not concerned with his own nakedness and took Junhee’s length back into his mouth. Except now he could touch himself properly, stroking himself feverishly while he swallowed around him to push away his gag reflex. 

“Y-You’re breathtaking.” Junhee panted as his one hand settled back into Donghun’s hair, the other gripping the sheets desperately. He tilted his head back as the pleasure built higher, twisting tightly in the pit of his stomach. “Please.” He begged, feeling sweat forming all over his skin. 

He dared to look down again, remembering Donghun’s request. 

Oh. 

Donghun was looking right back up at him. The makeup smudged from his eyes and his hair sticking to his damp forehead while his cheeks were coloured with a pretty rosey tint. He realised the other man was touching himself. Was Donghun really so turned on by this?

His fingertips rubbed over the brunette’s scalp, scratching lightly and watching his eyes flutter closed. 

The pressure was coming to breaking point. “I— I think I’m gonna—” Before Junhee could finish his sentence, an electric wave of pleasure tore trough him. His hips bucked up against the hand pressing them down involuntarily as he climaxed. His vision whited out for a moment and a loud, ragged moan flew from his lungs. 

Donghun didn’t pull away, he swallowed everything the younger gave him, only coughing a little at the end. 

Junhee felt like his bones had disappeared from his body. His skin felt overheated and over sensitive as Donghun kissed him, he could taste himself there as he licked at his tongue. It should have disgusted him, but it didn’t. He thought he might pass out when the older’s thumb grazed his now hyper sensitive nipple. So, he pulled Donghun’s hair to the side roughly and mouthed against his neck, looking for that sensitive spot he’d found earlier. 

“Junhee.” Donghun’s voice was scratchy now compared to what it was. The idea that it was because of him made Junhee’s blood fizz. 

Donghun was enjoying chasing his own orgasm while he had Junhee’s face pressed against his neck. But he really didn’t expect him to nip a little and start sucking at the skin over an especially sensitive area. Junhee must be a fast learner. If it was the sensation which kicked him closer to the edge, it was the simple knowledge that Junhee was leaving a mark for all the world to see that tipped him over it. 

“J-Junhee!” He released himself all over his hand and the other’s milky, unmarred stomach. Pearly white streaks of liquid almost blending in perfectly. 

Junhee could feel the vibrations of his name rattle through Donghun’s throat under his tongue. It made him groan in return and his heart swell with butterflies. 

Donghun slumped to the side, trying to avoid making a mess while he caught his breath. His eyes fell closed and he almost purred when elegant fingers began tentatively stroking through his hair. He never knew how much he liked to have his hair played with until Junhee developed the habit. 

The room was quiet, other than the gentle crackle of the ever burning fireplace and their steadily slowing breaths.

Donghun could have easily fallen asleep right then and there. 

“I’m afraid.” Junhee said suddenly. 

“What are you afraid of?” Donghun forced his heavy eyes open. 

“I’m afraid because I’ve lived a lot of my life alone and in some form I’ve always been looked down on for one reason or another. Which was fine because it just taught me to build up my own pride. Then suddenly you come along and start showing me affection. Wanting me. Loving me. Making me feel things I assumed I never would. I’ve always thought I didn’t need anyone but now I don’t know if I’d be able to exist without you. That terrifies me. It terrifies me that you’ve given me something to lose.”

“I wouldn’t want to live without having something worth fearing to lose.” Donghun reached out to gently caress his cheek. “But it’s ok to be afraid.”

Those butterflies were back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? :D I really hope it didn’t suck or wasn’t too dialogue heavy in parts! 
> 
> _______
> 
> **NEXT TIME:** Donghun finds something to spend his five lowly coins on. 
> 
> Come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheClamp2) ! I post updates about updates there too :D


	7. The Pouring Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they head home, Donghun finds something to buy with the coins he’s been carrying around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo! I hope you like this ch! I was worried that not much happens because it was way too long and I had to cut some off and move it over to Ch8. So I’m aiming to get the next instalment out early. 
> 
> This one's a sappy one, guys!

Donghun was lingering peacefully in that state which exists between asleep and awake. Conscious but not entirely. He was too comfortable wrapped up in the warmth of the soft blankets and Junhee’s body heat draped around him. 

He’d cleaned them both up before they fell asleep, but they hadn’t bothered to dress. Donghun was perfectly content to sleep naked, anyway. Junhee had fallen asleep in just his still open shirt, leaving Donghun to manoeuvre his sleeping form under the blankets. 

Their legs were entangled together, skin against skin. Junhee’s head had at some point come to rest on Donghun’s bare chest and Donghun was just about aware of the gentle puffs of breath against him. 

What he wouldn’t give to exist in this moment forever. To capture it and carefully wrap it up in pretty silks so that he could keep it with him and visit it whenever he liked. 

He made a soft noise of complaint when Junhee shifted, the movement drawing him further into the conscious world. He frowned oh so slightly, but then a butterfly kiss landed on the tiny crease which had formed between his eyebrows. 

“Don’t frown. If the wind changes direction, your face will get stuck like that.” 

Donghun let out a bubble of laughter, still not opening his eyes as he screwed up ridiculously.

“Oh you’ll regret that if you have to look at that forever now.” The grin was audible on Junhee’s voice but Donghun still had yet to open his eyes. 

Another kiss landed on his face, this time on his cheekbone. Then another on the end of his nose. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling anymore. He loved when Junhee was bold and affectionate, when he was the one initiating any contact. 

Finally, Donghun opened his eyes to see the blonde hovering over him. He thought to himself that there was possibly no other sight on earth he would rather wake up to. On the rare occasions they woke up at the same time, Donghun had noticed that there would be a little crease formed under Junhee’s eye on the side he’d slept on. The small wrinkle would always disappear after a short while but he’d grown strangely fond of it. 

“Did you mean it when you said you love me?” Junhee asked suddenly, studying him from above.

“Do you’d think I’d lie about that?” 

“No… No, I don’t. I hope you know that I… I hope you know what you mean to me.” Junhee bit his lower lip, struggling a little. 

“I do.” Donghun didn’t need to hear the words. After all, that’s all they were. Words. “I know how much that means that you allowed me to touch you like that last night. That you let me give you pleasure. I’d have never said anything that wasn’t true just to get you to let me have my way with you.”

Junhee’s ears turned red at the tips, suddenly highly aware of their state of undress under the blankets. Just as he moved to pull away, Donghun wrapped his arms tightly around him and pulled him flush against his body, even wrapping his legs around him in a full-body hug, laughing as Junhee whined in faux frustration.

“Ah don’t leave me in this be alone, you’re so warm, Junhee!"

“Yah!” Junhee struggled in a futile effort to free himself before quickly giving in, letting his body go limp. “You’re so embarrassing.” He grumbled into Donghun’s shoulder. 

“Funny, I don’t feel embarrassed.”

“You never do. God, I hope last night wasn’t really bad for you. I really didn’t know what on earth I was doing.” He lamented. 

“Bad? It was amazing, you’re so beautiful. You were dazzling and you made such gorgeous noises for me.You were so perfect.”

“You weren’t disappointed?” On reflection he wondered if he should have been a more active participant. 

“I could never be disappointed. Don’t be dumb.” He squeezed the younger even tighter, kissing the top of his head. 

“Too tight!” Junhee wheezed. 

“Sorry.” Donghun laughed, releasing him from his grasp.

“We should get ready to leave.” Junhee landed another peck to Donghun’s cheek before slipping away, taking all the blankets with him to keep himself covered. 

“Junhee, it’s cold!” 

“You’ll just have to put some clothes on, then.”

Donghun simply flopped over onto his front and buried his face in the pillow while items of clothing were thrown at him from across the room.

“You look good with that red mark on your neck!”

“You tease me so much!”

. . .

They had more or less finished preparing to depart after some servants came with a bag of supplies for them, when a guard informed Junhee that the king wished to see him alone. 

Junhee had to swallow his anxieties as he was lead along to a room high in the western tower with two guards stood to attention outside. He’d mostly gotten over his apprehension around Byeongkwan, but the king who different. He’d spoken very little to them and seemed so serious and stoic. Besides, what on earth could he want to see him about?

“Your highness, the visitor as you requested!” A guard announced through the door.

“He may enter!” Came the voice from within. 

Junhee hesitated, unsure if he was supposed to simply walk in or not. 

“Don’t keep your king waiting.” The guard nudged him forward. 

Tentatively, Junhee pushed open the heavy oak door. Inside, every inch of the walls were covered with overflowing bookcases. Near the window, The king sat, dressed in far more simple attire than he’d seen before. Plain dark purple and black clothing and without his crown. He was perched at a table with two chairs, carefully writing in a large book with a quill. A stack of parchment, an inkwell, an assortment of different quills and a candelabra sat on the table, too.

“Please close the door behind you.” He didn’t so much as look up from what he was writing. 

Obeying, Junhee closed the door and took a few steps closer. 

“You’re clear about what’s being asked of you?” The young king asked, switching to a broader looking quill. 

“About going to the Deadland? Yes, your highness. I’m to see it for myself and return with artefacts to prove that I went. I’m to return here and confirm that what Donghun says is true.”

“You trust him, yes?”

“With my life. He isn’t a liar.”

“Hmm…” He hummed, still not turning to look at Junhee. “Tell me, do you think I’m being unreasonable with what I’ve asked of you?”

“No, your highness.”

“Are those your true feelings or what you think I wish to hear?”

“I’m thankful that you’re considering helping us.”

“But? Come now, I’m no bellowing tyrant like my father. I won’t have your head for telling me your honest thoughts. Byeongkwan would ensure my life wasn’t worth living if I did such a thing to you, anyway.”

“But… at the same time I have this thought in the back of my mind that if we were to both perish making that journey there and back then it would be less of an inconvenience for you.”

“It would be. But I’m not sending you there for my convenience, that I can assure you” The king blew air gently over the page to dry the ink. “I can’t act purely on my heart. I’d like to put my full trust in you both, but acting on only the heart is unwise. That said, Byeongkwan is a good judge of character and he certainly trusts you both. He barely trusts anybody, so that’s quite an endorsement. However, I have many lives on my shoulders that I have to consider first and foremost. I hope you understand that.”

“I do...”

“Sit.” He motioned to the other chair at the table. “You don’t need to stand on ceremony with me in here.”

Junhee did as he was told, taking a seat. On closer inspection, it wasn’t words being written on the page at all. It was a drawing. Swirling ink creating the image of people dancing, no doubt inspired by the night before. 

“You probably think a king shouldn’t waste his time on such idle distractions.” The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of the king’s lips.

“Not at all. I think it’s beautiful.” 

“It helps to keep my mind clear.” He finally set the quill down and looked at Junhee. “My I ask you something?” 

“Of course.” Junhee could really see the youth on his face now without the weight of the crown on his head and the sparkling silver jewellery to distract. He simply looked like a handsome young man, but his aura was still that of quiet composure and a steady dignity. It made him wonder what the young man was like behind closed doors, alone with Byeongkwan. They just seemed so completely different as people.

“Tell me, what is the common man’s opinion of me in the outer provinces? I’d like an honest answer. If I wanted to hear lies, I’d ask my advisors.”

“I... I can’t speak for everyone everywhere. But I don’t think many hold much of an opinion at all. The capital here and the prosperous towns and cities of the southern coast and the eastern boarders feel like another land entirely. The concept of the person ruling over us is an abstract one. The only decisions you make which reach us is where to put the mines.”

“Ah... the mines. I heard some rumours that they were causing the water to become poisonous. My advisors assured me this was untrue. Simply the ramblings or paranoid, superstitious villagers.”

“There used to be a village not far from my town. About a day’s travel away. Like most places in the region, they were sustained by a river flowing from the mountains and feeding a small lake. One day, people from that village began turning up in the town, they had to flee because the water had turned to poison. They said at first the crops withered, then the animals began to get sick. Then the people are struck by a strange sickness, too. Then one day, they awoke to a terrible stench. The fish had all died and were rotting along the banks of the river and around the lake. Soon the sick became the dying and the dead and they had to flee.”

“I see.”

“This was shortly after a new mine appeared upstream. There’s also stories of it happening to other small villages and further east to the nomadic communities.”

“I’m sorry…” The young king frowned. I was lead to believe there wasn’t a problem.”

“But we are not important.”

“Everyone is important.”

“We don’t need to share in the wealth from the mines. We’re happy to be unimportant if we’re left alone to exist how we always have.”

“There will be metal deposits in areas away from settlements. Harder to reach for miners but now that I know there is a problem, I can justify the different approach when new mines are to be opened.” He carefully blew the fresh ink dry again before closing the book and bringing a sheet of parchment to himself. 

“Thank you.” 

“My responsibility is to you as much as it is to someone living just outside the palace walls. It’s a difficult balance where most decisions which have a benefit to some will have an adverse affect on others. Still, I have to do my best.” He peered into the almost dry inkwell. “Could you hand me the pot of ink? It’s just behind you on the bookcase”

Junhee turned to look, seeing the pot of ink and reaching to grab it. He passed it over and watched as the king refilled the inkwell carefully. 

“Upon your return here, whenever that might be, present this to the guards.” He began to write. 

The way the quill would glide over the paper smoothly was almost mesmerising. Like it was dancing. 

“What is your family name?” The king suddenly asked. 

“I don’t have one, your highness. I have no father.”

He glanced up as he dipped the quill back into the ink. “Did your mother have a family name?”

“Park, your highness.”

“Park Junhee it is, then.” 

“But that isn't how it works.”

“It isn’t usual, but I’m sure if anyone has the power to allow you to use your mother’s name, it’s me.” He cracked a small smile and began writing again and Junhee looked closer.

So that’s what his name looked like written down. Park Junhee. 

“I wish you luck on your travels.” He folded the paper and began to melt wax over a candle, adding the royal seal to it. 

“Thank you.” 

. . .

“Oh thank goodness I caught you!” Byeongkwan held out a small piece of folded leather, nearly finished with a neat flower pattern embossed into it. “For you, as you requested.”

Donghun took it and peeped inside. It contained a long silver sewing pin. “Ah! Thank you.” It was perfect. 

“What is it?” Junhee asked, trying to peer over.

“I’ll show you another time.” Donghun smiled and slipped the folded leather into his bag. “Consider it a surprise.” Since he wasn’t sure exactly how Junhee would react to the request he had in mind. 

“Is there anything else you think you’ll need?” The prince concert asked, eyeing over their bags. “Money perhaps?”

“We should have plenty. The food supplies should last two days of the journey so we’ll have enough money leftover for accommodation.”

“Wonderful. I’m excited for your return already so don't disappoint me.” Wrapping an arm around each of them, he pulled he pair into a hug. “Be safe and care for each other.” He pulled away with a wife smile. “I best let you go and I suppose I should attend to my duties like a good prince.” He pulled an overly exaggerated bored face. 

“Thank you for everything.” Junhee dipped his head.

“It’s no inconvenience for me.” The prince concert flashed another smile as he flitted away with the ever present sound of twinkling jewellery. He could be heard down the corridor, yelling loudly about how he hadn’t had a pot of tea yet and can’t possibly get anything done until he has it. 

They left soon after, Junhee wanted to get the walk through the city over with quickly. Part of him hoped the last time was a fluke. Maybe it wouldn’t be so busy today?

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. It was still just as chaotic and noisy. But actually, it felt a whole lot more manageable somehow. Especially with the way Donghun held onto his hand. 

As they passed back through the busy streets of the city. Donghun spotted a leatherworker selling long pieces of leather cord. 

“Wait, I want to buy something.” His hand slipped away from Junhee’s. 

“Buy what?”

Without giving an answer, Donghun had already bounded off, leaving Junhee to jump out of the way when a man came rushing past chasing a chicken down the road. 

When the blonde had caught up with him, he’d already bought a long length of the cord with the coins he’d carried around ever since Junhee had given them to him. 

“What on earth do you want that for?”

“The cord on my necklace is badly weathered, I’m worried it’ll snap sometime soon so I wanted to replace it. There’s also something else I’d like to make with it.”

“What would that be?”

“Ahh you’ll have to wait and see.” Donghun took his hand back in his own. 

“All about keeping secrets now, are you?”

“Mmmm I wouldn’t call them secrets. They’re delayed truths. I’ll show you tonight if it works out.”

“The contents of what the prince consort gave you or the purpose of that leather cord?”

“The purpose of the leather cord. For now, anyway.” Donghun shrugged. 

“What are you going to do? Tie me up to the bed or something?” Junhee arched a brow.

“Ah, good idea!” He laughed loudly. 

“No!” The blonde snatched his hand back and swatted at his arm.

. . .

It had only taken Donghun approximately three and a half attempts to climb up onto the horse this time. He still didn’t like having to ride on it, he felt too unstable. Junhee wasn’t especially fond, either. Mostly because through the day his posture would make him become more and more physically uncomfortable again. 

Junhee had faded into his own thoughts a little. Lingering on the prospect of the journey ahead. He’d trekked fairly deep into the mountains before and at least this was a good time of year to do so. The snowfall would be reasonably light so it should be easily passable in most areas. They’d be able to mostly stick to the river’s path. As for what lay over the ridges, he wasn’t exactly sure. He imagined it to be not that different, except for there wouldn’t be any snow after a certain point.

He tried to picture in his mind what to expect the Deadland to look like but was unable to conjure up anything detailed. Simply imagining somewhere flat and open like the tundra but filled with sand. Red sand, as Donghun had said. Red sand which formed rolling, ever changing hills. What did he call them? _Dunes_. And what of the heat? Maybe it would be like sitting right next to a burning fire. 

He realised they’d both fallen silent for some time. 

“Donghun? You’re quiet, I thought I should check you haven’t fallen off.” Junhee gently teased.

“Don’t worry, I’d make you very aware if I fell off. I was just looking at the fields and stuff. Trying to see if there are cows again.”

“Why cows specifically?”

“Byeongkwan has a bird called Cow. I was thinking about it.”

“Cow?”

“He said that’s what he named the first one out of spite when he was a child. He gives them all the same name because they don’t live very long.”

“That’s… that actually sounds really sad.” 

“Hmm…” Donghun hummed, going quiet again before something caught his eye. “Oh we have those.” He tapped Junhee’s shoulder and pointed ahead at some familiar animals grazing at the side of the road. “What do you call them? I don’t know your word.”

“Uh those are goats.”

“Goats? Goats.”

It occurred to Junhee that he never asked Donghun what he usually called things at home. “What do you call them?”

“At home? Ahja.”

On the rare occasion Junhee heard Donghun speak in his own language he noticed his voice would lower in pitch. So naturally his ended doing the exact opposite. “Ahja?” His voice came up high pitched and unsure. He coughed and corrected his tone, trying again. “Ahja.” 

“Yes!” Donghun squeezed around his middle.

“Ahja. Goat.”

“Goat. Ahja.” Donghun rested his chin on Junhee’s shoulder. “Their milk is really nutritious and they can eat pretty much anything so they’re the only livestock we keep now. Oh, and there’s a kind of cactus that has sweet roots. It’s poisonous if you try to eat it raw but it tastes so good boiled in goat milk. It was always my favourite food.”

“Oh, we might have something similar, actually. I’ll make it for you when we get home.” It was grains of pearl barley boiled in milk until they swelled and became soft, sweetened with honey. He used to love it as a child. Especially with fresh berries mixed in.

“You will? Ah, I can’t wait.” He thought for a moment. “But I’ve never seen goats there.”

“The herds are kept on other other side of the lake where the mountain comes down. Theres stuff for them to eat up there because it’’s mostly sheltered from the snow. They…” Junhee paused in his train of thought when he felt a few droplets of water splatter onto his hands and cheeks. “Oh.” He blinked.

Rain. 

Rain was uncommon in the northernmost reaches as it usually fell as snow, so it was a rarity even for Junhee. He looked up at the gloomy, darkening skies. 

“Rain. I’ve never seen rain.” Donghun’s voice was just above that of a whisper, only audible because of his proximity to the other’s ear.

Then the rain fell harder, beginning to pour down.

“I saw a milestone back there, we should head to the next town to find a place to sleep tonight. This isn’t the sort of weather to be travelling in.”

“Why not?”

“The cold seeps quickly to your bones if you’re wet.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember when my clothes were wet from the snow.”

“Hold on tight.” Junhee gave a warning before jeering the horse to gallop.

“No!” 

. . .

By the time they finally reached an inn, they were both already completely drenched. 

The inn thankfully provided a room with hot bath waiting for them at an extra cost which Junhee really didn’t mind paying in this case.

“I think we’ll both fit in, right?” Donghun was already peeling off his wet clothes.

“We will.” He grabbed the other by the arm to stop him from diving straight into the hot water. “But wrap yourself up in the blanket for a while first. If you get in now you’ll warm up too quickly and feint.” 

Donghun pushed out his lower lip, looking up through the waves of hair hanging over his eyes as he backed away from the bath. “Fine.” He shed the rest of his clothes, discarding them onto the floor. 

“You give me that look with those sad eyes of yours on purpose, I know you do.” Junhee tutted, wrapping a blanket from the bed tightly around him so that Donghun’s arms were trapped at his side. “Sometimes kindness requires cruelty.” He poked his cheek and moved a little closer to the fire to remove the soaked fabric from himself, the need to get dry and warm completely overstepping any shyness. Maybe he’d gone past the point of that with the other man now, anyway.

“I’m just excited to take a bath with you.”

“Of course you are.” He winced as he bent over to untie his boots. 

“Your back still hurts?”

“It’s not so bad, I’m just stiff all over. How are you holding up?”

“I feel like someone filled all my joints with tar.” Donghun watched while Junhee undressed himself, spotting the almost completely faded pink mark on his milky thigh. 

“I can can always feel it when you’re staring at me.” The blonde did his best to dry off his skin, not giving the other a glance. 

“Would you like me to stop staring?”

“No.” Junhee admitted and pulled the other blanket around himself, beginning to shiver. Shivering was good, it allowed the body to warm itself. He stood nearer the fire, letting the warmth slowly seep into him.

Once warmed a little, Donghun could finally hop into the bath. There was almost a glint of mischief in his eye with the way he looked at Junhee. “I’m waiting.”

So maybe Junhee still had a little shyness about him.

“Fine.” He grit his teeth threw off the blanket dramatically and stepped in quickly, settling himself with his back against Donghun’s chest. “Happy?”

“Very.” Donghun’s voice was dripping with triumph, melting into laughter.

Junhee ignored him, letting the warm water soothe his aches away.

“It does.” Donghun pressed his lips up against Junhee’s shoulder. “Sorry for laughing at you. You’re so precious to me and you’re doing so much for me.” 

“I can’t have you running around all alone. God knows what trouble you’ll get into.”

“I’m going to keep you so safe, Junhee. I’ll get you across the Wastes. I’ll give my very last breath for you.” He nuzzled closer, pressing his palm over the blonde’s heart and feeling it beat.

“Excuse me, but it was sheer luck and the will of the gods that got you over the mountains and through the forest. Fortunately for you, you’ll have me this time to ensure you don’t almost die for a second time.”

“Oh of course, I’ll have you to protect me from all the bears and wolves I have yet to see evidence of.”

“They’re out there but they don't like to bother with humans. I know how they feel. Well, that was until you showed up.”

“Like the snow fox. Junhee the lonely snow fox.”

Junhee turned his head back to look at him. “Not lonely anymore.”

“Can I kiss your pretty lips?”

Junhee cracked a smile. One of those that showed off all his teeth. “You probably don’t need to ask anymore.”

“I wanted to because it makes your ears turn read.” He kissed him sweetly on the lips, looking over him like he was the most precious thing in the world.

It made Junhee’s heart flutter. Ah, those butterflies. Damn butterflies. 

“Your cheeks are red now, too.” 

“Are you determined to make me dislike you?” 

“Could you ever truly dislike me?” Donghun pouts. 

“I’ve noticed you’re a little arrogant, aren’t you?” Junhee grins. 

“Does that mean I’m wrong?” He captured the blonde’s lips again, taking his lower lip between his own and carding his fingers through still rain damp hair. 

“No. But that isn’t very humble of you. You lack all modesty.”

“Maybe you should be a little less humble and modest.”

“Maybe you’re right.” He shifted forward a little, not that the size of the bath would allow for much movement. “Wash my back for me.” 

“For all my lack of modesty and humbleness, you sure do know how to make me melt for you. Witchcraft, that’s what it is.” He grabbed the sweet smelling soap, deciding against using the cloth and instead opting to use his hands. That way he could massage away the ache in Junhee’s shoulders and neck. When he looked this closely he could truly appreciate the strong, developed muscles of his shoulders and upper arms, slightly asymmetrical on the one side compared to the other. Even the bones underneath felt a little different from the left to the right. It was true when Junhee had said your bones and muscles develop differently when you use a bow and arrow your whole life. No wonder it was so much harder for Donghun to use, while Junhee made it look effortless. 

“The true witchcraft is how you’ve made me become so accustomed to being touched like this. I can’t believe you have me sitting naked in your lap so shamelessly.” 

“I’m happy you’re comfortable, my love.”

“I hope you don’t expect to have your way with me again tonight. I’m exhausted.” It wasn’t even that late, but he was just so tired from riding and the hands sweeping over his back and shoulders, fingertips pressing the tension away, was just too soothing. 

Donghun leaned over to murmur into his ear. “The next time I get to have my way with you, _if_ I do, it’ll be when you come to me and ask me. When you spell the words out for me. I won’t ever pressure you.” 

So, the power was back in Junhee’s hands. 

Just where they both liked it to be.

“Good.” Junhee swallowed, letting his head drop forward and yes slip closed to bask in the warmth of the water, the fire and the palms still mapping out his upper back.

. . .

After the bathwater had grown tepid and they’d washed each other’s hair, Donghun settled himself on the floor. He had the knife Junhee previously gave him and the reel of brown leather cord he’d purchased. He held a blanket wrapped up around himself while Junhee hung their clothes to dry for the morning.

He rummaged around in his bag for the small obsidian pebble, pulling it out and inspecting the shape more closely. Hopefully what he’d had in mind would work out. He’d saved some of the bath water in a jug next to him and was soaking a length of the leather cord to make it more pliable for use. 

He fished it out, checking that it had softened enough before beginning to bind it tightly around the black stone, using the natural slightly irregular shape as an anchor point. It took a fair bit of trial and error to stretch the cord around the shiny surface without it continually slipping off. But he was nimble enough with his fingers to eventually manage it. Hopefully, once the leather tightened back up the hold would become even more secure. He kept a firm hold on it, just in case. 

“Need some help?”

“Hm?” Donghun looked up. “Yeah, actually. If you like. I need to keep ahold of this so, could you take my necklace off?”

Wrapped up in his own blanket, Junhee sat down oppose him, the position reminiscent of when he’d shown Donghun how to make arrows with him. He leaned across and slipped necklace off from around his neck carefully. The cord really was looking pretty thin in places. 

“Could you untie it from the pendant and loop the new cord through?”

The blonde nodded. He carefully untied the old cord and took the time to look at the intricately carved piece of brightly coloured stone. There were a few imperfections in the colour, darker veins that he supposed simply didn’t show up on the small beads. Running his fingertips over the wings of the bird, thoughts drifting over to think about the first time he’d seen it. 

“You said the bird was for protection, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Like this.” He reached out to brush his index finger of the same bird symbol on Donghun’s forearm. 

“Guess it worked, since I’m here.”

Junhee threaded the new cord through he pendant and tied a secure knot, using the knife to cut it off at the right length. “This ok?”

“Yep. That’s perfect.”

Junhee leaned over and hung it back around Donghun’s neck. “What is that you’re working on?”

“Cut me another piece the same length and I’ll show you.” He smiled excitedly, twisting and tying off a loop in the binding around the obsidian. 

Junhee did as he was asked, cutting off a piece of the leather and handing it over. He watched as Donghun tied it through the loop and knotted the ends together, holding it up.

“Is that the pebble I gave you from the edge of the lake?”

“Yeah.”

“You kept it with you?”

“Of course I did. You gave it to me.” As though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Junhee could feel emotion welling up and pressing against the back of his eyes. Of course Donghun had kept it. That’s the sort of person he was. So why did that make him want to cry? “And toy made yourself a necklace from it?” It was so endearing.

“It isn’t for me. It’s for you.”

“M-Me?”

“You said you used to collect the pebbles with your mother. It sounded like a really happy memory and it felt important. I wanted you to carry it with you.”

“I—” Junhee couldn’t push anymore words out. Instead, only tears came. Flowing from seemingly nowhere. He wasn’t the kind of person to cry. 

Panicking, Donghun pulled him in against him. “I’m sorry. Did I upset you? I’m sorry if I did something wrong. Please don’t cry. You’ll make me cry, too.”

Junhee desperately wanted to explain that he wasn’t angry or upset, but every time he tried to speak, another sob would bubble out. 

“I’m so sorry, Junhee. I’m so sorry. Please stop crying.” He sniffled, stroking at Junhee’s hair and slowly rocking him as the younger clung onto him. “I’m sorry if I don’t understand, Junhee. Please.”

“I— I’m not. I’m n-not sad.” He managed to choke out between hiccoughs. “Don’t s-say sorry. Please.” He pulled back and took Donghun’s face between his hands, looking into those shiny, tearful eyes. 

“The why are you crying?”

“Because it’s possibly the most thoughtful thing someone has ever done for me.” He sniffed and smiled, pulling him into a sudden kiss and tasting the salt from tears streaking down his face. “I probably look so ugly right now.” Junhee rubbed over his face. 

“You’re never ugly.” Donghun looped the necklace around him. “You like it?”

“I love it.” 

“Ah you scared me!”

Blinking away his tears, Junhee placed is hand over the small stone which now hung at the middle of his chest. “Sorry. Thank you for this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo I used a fake language generator where you input the phonics you want to use for Donghun’s language so it isn’t based off anything in particular.  
> Sorry if not much happened, I had to move some of what I intended over to Ch8 :(
> 
> _____
> 
> **In other news:** I’m gonna try to get the next chapter out a bit early since I know not a heck of a lot happened here!
> 
> Come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheClamp2) ! :D


	8. Holding My Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **CONFESSION:** So, this chapter ended up a LOT longer than I wanted (about 9,000 words) and so, the preview for this chapter at the end of the last one will be showing up in Ch9 instead since I had to cut a big chunk off. 
> 
> Aaaand missed upload last night but I was so tired I couldn’t look at the screen anymore T^T   
> Oops!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNINGS:** In this chapter we have some descriptions of tattooing and it just briefly mentions blood. I just wanted to put this up here to be safe. It isn’t graphic, though. 
> 
> Also, obviously if you’re getting tattooed it should be with a fresh sterile needle and should be done on skin that has been thoroughly cleaned beforehand. However, obviously in the context of this universe that isn’t what happens.

It was nighttime when they reached home. Junhee quickly setting about trying to light the fire. “Home sweet home.” It was such a relief to be somewhere he felt fully secure and comfortable, surrounded by familiarity he’d known for his whole life. Though, purely being in Donghun’s presence had begun to feel a lot like home. 

That was probably just as well, since being here in his physical home was going to be pretty short lived, anyway. They’d have to set off again soon, but he wouldn’t think about that for now. The only thing he wanted to think about was flopping into bed. Five days of travel had taken it’s toll when he hadn’t even had time to fully recover from the outbound journey. On the bright side, at least he wouldn’t have the aches and pains from riding the horse on their next set trip. There was no way on earth you’d get a horse very far up through the mountains, anyway. 

Working on the fire, he whined in frustration when it refused to light.

“What’s wrong?” 

“I had a feeling this would happen.” Junhee rubbed his hand through his own hair hair. “The fireplaces were unattended for too long and now they’re damp from the chimneys. That means no fire until I can clean them out and start afresh. No fire means no light or heat.” Ah, and he’d looked forward to a nice cup of birch tea in the morning. So much for that, then. He sat back on his haunches and huffed in annoyance.

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll sleep and then we can do that in the morning.” Donghun crouched and wrapped his arms around the blonde from behind. “Don’t worry about it and just come to bed. We’re both tired and it’s late.”

Junhee nodded in acceptance, standing and making his way over to bed, suddenly regretting selling off his thicker, nicer quilts.

It was cold enough that they had to sleep fully dressed in their clothes, curled up together under the blankets which remained.

But it was fine. Sure, it was cold and dark and Junhee didn’t have his tea to look forward to in the morning, but at least it was home. Especially with Donghun softly snoring away next to him almost instantly when his head hit the pillow, the other man could sleep anywhere at any time. The notion made Junhee have to suppress a laugh and plant a small kiss onto the top of Donghun’s head. 

. . .

“Time to wake up and make yourself useful. I have a job for you.”

Donghun groaned sleepily as Junhee shook him awake. He was about to complain but instead stared in confusion when he opened his eyes to see the state the other was in. He was stood there with his sleeves rolled up, his arms and hands completely blackened with soot. It was even smeared across his face, in his hair and all over his clothes. “Oh, Junhee, what happened to you?” 

“I’m clearing the fireplace. I need to finish up and get some new wood to burn so, if you feel comfortable, do you think you could go buy some things from the market?”

Donghun sat upright and rubbed at his sleepy eyes. “Of course. What do we need?”

“You know the lady who sells the grains? Ask for a bag of pearl barley. There’s usually a man selling milk nearby, you’ll have to take a pail with you for it. Have him fill it half way, otherwise you’ll never carry it back without spilling it. Ask someone for directions to the apothecary and offer him a hare or grouse tomorrow for a small jar of honey, tell him you’re with me and I’m sure he’ll oblige. He was happy to take a trade as payment when I needed supplies to treat your leg. I’ll give you enough money to cover it if he won’t accept that.”

Donghun listened carefully. Nodding once, he relayed the instructions out loud. “Bag of pearl barley. Half a pail of milk. Honey for a hare or grouse if possible. You can trust me.” A sleepy grin settled on his face. “It’s hard to take you seriously when you have a black smudge on the end of your nose. You look even more like a snow fox.” 

Junhee rolled his eyes and wiped his sooty fingers across both of Donghun’s cheeks, leaving him with what looked like whiskers. “Don’t forget to wash your face before you go out.” He gave a smirk and touched his index finger to the end of his nose, leaving a black smudge behind. 

Donghun made himself go crosseyed when he touched his nose and pursed his lips to make a funny face.

“You’re so weird. I warned you about making stupid faces, it’ll get stuck like that.” Junhee cackled and returned to the fire. 

. . .

Although Donghun didn’t really like to be separated from Junhee, he was familiar enough with the town by now that he felt confident to visit the market alone. What were once entirely alien sights to him had now become something he knew well. 

He knew exactly where the woman who sold the grains would be and ventured straight there, figuring the barley would be easier to carry than the milk, he’d leave that until last. He knew he’d recognise her, even if she had her stall set up elsewhere because he’d noticed she always wore a pale pink ribbon tied around her head to keep her hair out of her face. It was a good idea, his hair was starting to irritate him somewhat.

“Good morning!” He smiled, dipping his head in greeting to the young woman. 

“Good morning.” She smiled in return. 

“Uh could I get a bag of pearl barley?” He asked, fishing the coins Junhee had given him to make the purchases out of his pocket. 

“Not a problem.” She began filling a small bag with circular looking grains. “I don’t think I’ve seen you out and about without Junhee before. He isn’t fever stricken, is he?”

“He’s cleaning out the fireplace. Apparently it got damp? So he sent me out to run errands.”

“Ah, what a dreadful job. My youngest brother spilled an entire pot of water over our kitchen fireplace and I was just about to cook dinner. The thing wouldn’t light properly for days.” She lamented, tying off the bag of barley tightly with string and handing it to him. 

“Thank you very much. I uh, I don’t really know what to give you.” He held out a handful of coins. He’d forgotten to ask Junhee all their values. “I’m not from around here, sorry.” That was probably patently obvious, but he still felt the need to explain.

“You’re very trusting, then. Be careful, someone may take advantage of that.” She took three of the coins Donghun recognised as the ones with the lowest value. “Are you buying anything else today?” 

“Half a pail of milk and some honey. But Junhee wants me to trade something he hunts for the honey if I can.”

She looked at the size of his pail. “So for the milk, he should ask for no more than four of the coins I took or one of these small ones with a hole in the middle. Honey would be probably no more than one of the silvery coins.”

“Oh, thank you.” He dropped the coins back into his pocket and placed the barley into his bag.

“Say, where are you from?” She asked, curiously. “You’re kind of the talk of the town, actually. You look so exotic with that gold in your ears and all the blue beads.”

“The southern islands.”

“Ah! The weather here must be terrible for you. You poor thing.”

“I like the weather. Snow is pretty.”

“I suppose you don’t get snow on the southern islands.” She shrugged. “Now, is there anything else you’d like?”

“Oh, actually could you tell me where the apothecary is?” 

“It’s just back up the hill, the sign is two triangles painted in blue.” She explained.

He remembered passing a sign like that. “Thank you very much for your help, Miss.” He dipped his head again before dashing off to the apothecary, buzzing with delight at his success. It was a basic errand to run but he liked to be self sufficient and liked to be helpful, it made him feel like he wasn’t useless to Junhee. He’d hate to ever be a burden. 

The apothecary’s shop was quite an experience, as it turned out. The place smelled like the white sage Junhee burned and a lot of other things he didn’t recognise. Strong but pleasant. The elderly man at the counter was helpful, though. He agreed to sell Donghun the pot of honey on the promise of a hare the following day. 

He even took the time to explain some of the things Donghun was curious about on the shelves. All kinds of different oils and herbs for various uses. Tonics and tinctures in small glass bottles to treat everything from toothache to diseases afflicting the lungs. Echinacea for a fever, laudanum for severe pain or to bring rest an uneasy mind. Ridged glass bottles which meant the contents were possibly poisonous if not taken correctly and smooth glass meant they were harmless in any amount. There were even squishy, slimy looking creatures called leaches in a jar of water which were used for blood letting. 

He spent quite a while exploring in the shop, feeling a little bad for taking the man’s time but his curiosity won out and the man seemed happy to explain. He even brought out one of the leaches and allowed Donghun to prod it gently with childlike glee. He even seemed impressed that Donghun could read the labels.

Eventually, he tore himself away and hurried to buy the milk, remembering what the lady in the pink ribbon had told him about it’s cost. Fortunately, the man didn’t ask for more than it’s usual value, anyway. 

Donghun had been gone a long time when he arrived home to find Junhee washing his face and hair in a bucket of water in the bedroom next to the now steadily burning fire.

“I thought I was going to have to come look for you. Thought you might have fallen into the lake chasing the fish. I was getting worried.”

“Sorry, the man at the apothecary shop was showing me all the medicines and I was interested. I got everything you asked for, though. Oh, and he accepted a hare tomorrow as payment. He said a grouse would be fine but he prefers a hare as the bones make for a better broth.”

“Good, we can save some money in that case.” Junhee dried off his hair with a cloth. “Did I get all the ashes out?”

“Yeah, looks like it.” Donghun looked him over. 

“I went out and picked some berries while I was gathering the wood.” Junhee motioned to a bowl of red berries near the hearth while he combed some of the flax oil through his hair with his fingers. “Oh, could you bring the black pot from the kitchen through? I realised there wasn’t much point in labouring over both the fires, since they’ll both probably be dampened again i— _when_ we come back and my back was aching from being bent over.” There was a beat of silence, the acknowledgement of the near-slip of _if_ going unspoken but no less poignant. “Anyway, was it manageable going to the town alone?”

“Yeah. It was fun, actually.” He searched the bag he’d travelled with and pulled the remaining leather cord out. “The lady who sells the grain is nice, she helped me with the money.”

“Oh, yeah I should have explained that better.” Junhee watched as Donghun used the leather cord to tie around his head and pull his curls up off his forehead and out of his eyes.

“That’s better, I can see properly.” Donghun mused absently.

Junhee swallowed, mind skipping back to the night in the palace where the prince consort had clipped Donghun’s hair up out of his face and how absolutely gorgeous he’d looked. Then there were the memories of intimate touches and how good he’d made him feel.

. . . 

That evening, Junhee prepared the pearl barley and goat milk, combining them in the black pot over the fire in the bedroom and sitting on a blanket on the floor with Donghun next to him. He pulled another blanket around both their shoulders.

“Now, we just need to wait and keep stirring it every so often and add more milk when necessary. The pearl barley should swell and go soft.”

Donghun hummed and leaned his head on his shoulder as he seemed to love doing, an arm wrapping around his waist to keep him close. “I like this.” He mused.

“Like what?”

“Sitting here with you. Just like this, you being close to me.” The older explained. 

“Me too.” Junhee pulled the blanket tighter around them and let his hand rest on Donghun’s knee.

“I love you so much, Junhee.”

Junhee tried to kick himself into saying those words back. He did love him and he knew Donghun was fully aware of that. But he’d been so convinced that love was something he’d never have, he was terrified that if he said it out loud the pain would be worse if he ever lost him. He knew the thought process made no sense and it frustrated him beyond belief. So instead, he stirred the pot and settled back to lean his head over onto Donghun’s where it rested against his shoulder. 

Donghun began idly humming the tune of the song Junhee had sung what felt like so long ago, the one his grandmother used to sing. He remembered it perfectly and it allowed Junhee to gently sing along, adding the words to the melody. 

Intermittently, Junhee would lean forward to add more milk and stir the barley but would go right back to leaning against him and singing different songs.

When the food was cooked and the pearl barley h turned tender and thickened with the milk, Junhee took two bowls and spooned the mixture in, dividing it up. Then, he added the honey and mixed it in to sweeten it, adding a little extra to Donghun’s since he liked sweet things. He followed it by sprinkling in a handful of berries he’d gathered while out getting firewood. 

“I hope you like it.” He offered the bowl over to Donghun.

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll like it.” He beamed, scooping up a spoonful and blowing on it gently to cool it off before taking a big mouthful. It was creamy and sweet with a soft texture, but the berries gave a pleasant contrast of sharpness. “Mmm!” He swallowed. “So good!” The goats milk with the sweetened flavour was vaguely reminiscent of one of the thing he’d eat at home. But the texture was different and the taste was much richer.

“Glad you like it but I suppose I’m not surprised. You’ll eat anything, I’m almost afraid I’ll wake up to find you trying to take a bite out of me.”

“Maybe I will.” Donghun leaned in and bit him playfully on the shoulder, giggling and tugging at the material of his clothes with his teeth. 

“Stop, you’ll tare it.” Junhee pointed his spoon at him as though it were some sort of deadly weapon.

He released his shirt with an exaggerated pout, looking like a scolded pup. “Sorry.” 

“No, you aren't.”

“Ah, you’re right. I’m not sorry at all.” Donghun shrugged, unashamed as he spooned another mouthful of the pearl barley into his mouth.

Long after the meal was finished, they remained sat next to each other in front of the fire. One-armed embraces became careful touches by wandering fingertips, which in turn became warm and tender kisses to necks and searching lips finding their way to each other. Slow and unhurried, existing in the steady intimacy of the moment where time felt as though it didn’t pass at all. There was only the crackle of the logs steadily burning and a few hushed whispers. A few feathery breaths here and there. 

Lips against lips eventually turned into tongues against tongues and steady sighs became rushed breathing. Coy touches giving way to braver ones, finding their way up under rumpled clothes.

The air had thickened with warmth and Junhee shifted to move, placing himself into Donghun’s lap, facing him and hands settling on his shoulders. 

Donghun stared into his eyes, their faces barely even a breath apart from each other. Inhaling one another’s air. 

“You said you wouldn’t have your way with me until I asked you for it, right? Until I approached the subject.” Junhee finally spoke.

“Yeah. Only when you ask me for it.”

Junhee took a few long moments, combing his fingers through Donghun’s hair, causing him to tilt his head back and expose his throat. The mark Junhee had left a week ago had disappeared, the last ghost of it having lingered up until a day ago. Maybe it would still be visible in better light. 

“Let me— I’m not ready to lose the last of my virtue but I want to make you feel good.” He said plainly, doing his best to keep the wobble out of his voice. 

“Are you sure?” Donghun questioned.

“Do I seem unsure?” Junhee raised a brow.

“No, you’re very stubborn.”

He’d liked being sat in Donghun’s lap before and the way the friction had felt when he’d rocked their hips together. So, he shifted closer, their bodies flush together through their clothes and lightly teased his lips over where the mark on his neck used to be, experimentally moving his hips to find a movement that felt good.

Donghun let out a small noise, his hands travelling down to Junhee’s hips and guiding him so that he could grind their hips together just right. It felt good and it caused sweat to gather on the back of the blonde’s neck and warmth pool in his stomach. 

It would have been easy for Junhee to simply continue gyrating his hips, chasing the feeling sparking through his groin. Donghun was clear enjoying it, breaths becoming more laboured and his obvious hardness growing between them. But this alone wasn’t what Junhee wanted, he wanted to give him more. It had played on his mind for days. Last time he’d basically lay there while pleasure was bestowed upon him. Not this time.

He moved his centre of gravity back a little to create some space between them, tugging at the front of Donghun’s trousers. The fact the other was already hard made something tingle inside. Donghun was turned on and it was all because of him. He felt desired and it felt good. 

“Junhee…”

“Let me please you.” 

Donghun lifted himself enough for Junhee to tug the material of his trousers and undergarments down just enough to free himself.

He my not have been experienced, but Junhee was determined. However, that didn’t negate the nerves entirely. Nevertheless, he ran an exploratory finger along the curve of Donghun’s erection.

The little sigh and shift of the hips the action earned made the blonde practically salivate. He tentatively wrapped his hand around him and gave a few light, experimental strokes. It felt different to have an erection which wasn’t his own against his palm. Different but good.

“Mmhh Junhee, your hand looks so good wrapped around me, looks so sm—”

“If you say small, I’ll stop immediately. Consider your words carefully.” The light taunting relived a lot of the remaining anxiety that was pulling at his stomach and a grin curled at the corners of his mouth. 

“ _Pretty_. Was gonna say so pretty?” The brunette threaded his fingers through the hair on the back of Junhee’s head, pulling him back into a kiss, their lips already swollen from kissing.

Junhee quickly gained the confidence to grip a little more firmly and and drag kisses from Donghun’s mouth to trail up and down his neck. His tanned skin was heated under his tongue and slightly salty from sweat beginning to form. The sounds which began dripping from the older’s mouth were delicious. 

It was addictive. 

Junhee wanted more. He wanted to make him moan louder and beg for him. So, he pushed him down by the shoulders to lay on the blanket and pushed the loose fitting shirt up as far as possible with his free hand. Junhee swooped down to taste the expanse of exposed flesh, running his tongue over where the unmarked skin met the black ink of the sun tattooed over his heart. He was vaguely curious as to whether it would feel different under his tongue. Remembering it was sensitive, he gave a cautious lick to his pierced nipple. His pride swelling when Donghun gasped loudly in surprise and gripped at his sides. 

“Does that feel good?” Junhee teased, maintaining a slow but steady rhythm with his hand.

“Yeah feels so good. God, so good. Please, Junhee…”

Taking heed, he ran the flat of his tongue over the perky bud, feeling the coldness of the metal contrasting against the heat of his flesh. He was careful not to apply too much pressure while he continued to stroke Donghun’s cock. It felt dizzyingly good to have this gorgeous man moaning and panting under his touch. Under his tongue. Coming undone because of him. Something he’d never experienced in his life before. 

It was enough to make him sweat even more with the added heat from the fire next to them. 

Sitting up a little, Junhee took the time to look over decorated, honey toned skin bathed in the warm, orange glow of the flames. “You’re gorgeous. But you already know that.” Junhee almost growled, going back to mouthing up his chest to his collar bone and delivering a bite there. Just because he wanted to. It just felt right and he was comfortable enough to simply go with just that, the things which felt right. 

“Junhee… please.” Donghun panted. “Faster. You’re doing so good.”

Junhee sped up the pace of his hand, using the dripping precome to help with the slide and ease the friction as he would do if he were laying in bed touching himself. 

“Junhee, so perfect.” His voice came like a strained whine. 

“You seem like you’re coming apart.”

“I am.”

“You’re addictive.”

“So are you, Junhee.”

A thought suddenly pushed it’s way to the the front of the blonde’s mind. Stark against the sultry fog of his other thoughts and impossible to ignore. “How much would you fall to pieces if you were inside me, Donghun?” He thumbed experimentally over the leaking tip of his cock.

“I’d be a broken shell of a man, all for you.”

“You’ll deny it but I can see how desperate you are for it. But it’s my call, isn’t it?” He leaned back down gave other bite, this time to the other collarbone. 

“Ah… always.”

“You think about it, don’t you?” He licked over the small tooth marks and then sucked lightly at the sensitive pierced nipple.

“Mhhh y-yes. But I’ll wait forever.”

“What if we don’t have forever?”

“W-We do”

“Nobody has forever.” 

“We do.” Donghun repeated. “Junhee, please. I’m so close.”

The excitement buzzed inside Junhee’s bones. He was drawn back up to Donghun’s mouth by a hand gripping at his hair more firmly than he’d done before. 

The older moaned into his mouth, the sound muffled as Junhee only kissed him deeper as though he was trying to swallow every sound he brought out of him. He spilled himself suddenly all over Junhee’s hand, his hips bucking upwards and the moan of his name being swallowed by the other.

“Do you know how delicious you look, Donghun? You’re glorious. Why don’t I tell you that more?” He rubbed at himself through his clothes, needing release for himself.

“Let me touch you, too. Please.” Donghun begged, panting in his afterglow. 

“Please.” His voice came barely above a whisper. 

“What do you want me to do for you, Junhee? Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.”

“I want you to touch me like I did for you and I want to feel your mouth on my neck.” He swallowed dryly. “A-And I should be embarrassed to ask but… I want you to call me beautiful.”

“Never be embarrassed with me.” Something about Junhee actually asking to be called beautiful lit a fire in Donghun. He sat himself back up, keeping Junhee in his lap while he kissed him hurriedly. He paused only to breathe out a, “You’re beautiful.” 

He quickly tugged Junhee’s trousers down his lips, taking his neglected erection into his hand, long fingers easily encircling it and making a shudder pass through the younger’s body.

“T-Tell me more…” 

“Junhee, you’re so beautiful. You’re the most breathtaking sight I’ve ever seen. You’re perfect. Oh so perfect. I’d cross the entire earth for you if that’s what it took. I’d fight my way out of the next life to be with you if I had to.” He increased his pace, squeezing and giving a slight motion of his wrist just right while he nuzzled into Junhee’s neck, stopping to suck at his throat here and there. “So beautiful and precious.”

Junhee whined and rocked his hips into Donghun’s hand, chasing the feeling. He was stunning when he let go.

“Your turn to fall apart, lover.”

Junhee wanted to argue but instead, he gripped at Donghun’s back under his shirt, scratching inadvertently.

“Will you come for me, Junhee?” He murmured lowly, pressing his tongue into his throbbing pulse.

“S-So close.”

“You’re even more beautiful like this. I love that you want me to call you beautiful, makes me so happy.” He was more than happy to supply praise. 

Donghun gasped when Junhee’s fingernails scraped over his back suddenly, the sting magnified in his over sensitive state of afterglow. The blonde’s hips stuttered as he came, crying out into the overheated air. 

They slumped against each other limply, Donghun with a dopey and satisfied smile on his face.

“I know what you’re thinking and don’t you dare tease me for asking you to say those things.” Junhee eventually spoke.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, beautiful Junhee.”

Junhee dug his fingernails back into him as a warning.

“Ah sorry, sorry. I feel sensitive.” He laughed sleepily and gathered Junhee up in his arms, heaving them both up, legs still wobbly. “Let’s go to bed.”

______________________________________

It was just two days until they were due to head out to the Deadland and Donghun had agonised over broaching the subject of the small leather square he’d received. But he figured it was now or never. He had to be brave. 

He took some charcoal from the fireplace and mixed it with a little water in a small cup and filled bowl with clean, fresh water and a cloth. He sat himself on the bed with them and small square of leather Byeongkwan had given to him. He unfolded it to see the long silver needle still there. 

“Junhee? Could you come in here?” He called, knowing Junhee was in the kitchen organising some things into bags for their journey.

After a few seconds, his call was answered. “What is it?” Junhee appeared from the other room. 

“May I ask you something?”

Junhee came closer, concerned by how serious Donghun looked and curious once he noticed the items in front of him on the mattress. “Of course.”

“It’s more of a request, actually.” He took a long breath in and held it for a second before he exhaled slowly. What was the worst that could happen? Junhee would say no and that would be the end of it? “I… I don’t know how you’ll react. Will you come sit with me?” Nerves danced in the pit of his stomach.

Sitting next to him, the younger looked increasingly worried. “Just come out with it.”“You can say no… remember when I explained about my tattoos? That they’re from people I care deeply for?”

Junhee nodded.

“Please can I give you a part of me? Take a patch of my skin and give me your mark with ink in return. Please.”

“A tattoo? You want me to tattoo you?”

“Yes. It would mean a lot to me but only if you’re comfortable with doing it.” It really did mean the world to him. To be able to carry the pattern left by a loved one forever. He’d be able to look at it every day and wear it with pride. 

“But I don’t know how to do it.”

“I’ll show you.”

Junhee bit his lower lip and frowned just a little. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You don’t need to if you don’t want to, Junhee. I don’t want to pressure you.”

“It’s something you really want…” 

“Not if you’re opposed to it.”

“I’ll do it. But I hope you don’t expect it to look as good as what you already have. What should I even draw?”

“Anything you want. Anything at all.” He pushed the needle in the leather toward Junhee.

“There’s one other condition.”

“Anything.” 

“I want you to give me one, too.” He pushed the implement back across the bed towards him. 

“Junhee… please don’t feel like you need to have done to make me happy. I know it isn’t something you do here.”

“I want it. It’s something that means a lot to you and you mean a lot to me. Do something small, though. And talk me through it so I’ll know what to do for you.”

“It lasts forever.” Donghun felt the need to remind him.

Forever. “I’m aware of that.” It wouldn’t have been something Junhee would have even considered before the met this man. But he understood how special the beautiful designs all over his body were and he knew their value. The fact that Donghun wanted Junhee to be a part of something so personal made his heart thump. He also remembered that he’d said it was usually a shared experience.

“Do you have a preference as to what and where it is?”

“I’ll trust your judgement. Somewhere that won’t hurt so much.”

“How about here?” He let his finger land lightly on Junhee’s upper arm, near his shoulder on his non-dominant side.

Junhee nodded and looked down at the shiny silver implement. “I did wonder what the prince consort gave you in there.”

“Yeah, I asked him for it in case I plucked up the courage to ask you. I kind of didn’t expect you to agree but there aren’t words to express how happy it makes me that you did.”

“I don’t think there’s much I wouldn’t do for you.” He admitted and while slowly unbuttoning his shirt enough to allow it to slip off his shoulder, hiding his nerves about the impending pain.

Donghun ran his fingers over the empty patch of skin. The black ink would stand out a starkly against the milky skin tone. “I can’t believe you’ll let me do this for you, Junhee.” He kissed the bare skin. “I promise I’ll give you something you’ll like.”

Donghun’s first thought was one of the many traditional symbols and patterns given between loved ones. But no, he thought better of it. He remembered Junhee being concerned about how he worshiped different gods and that it may bring on some sort of misfortune. Though he didn’t always voice them, he knew that the younger was sure in his beliefs. So, perhaps a symbol from a far off land being on him forever was not the best choice. 

Instead, Donghun thought of something much more fitting. 

“You must tell me if it hurts too much.” He warned, taking the implement from the leather square. 

“Oh I will, don't worry. Just tell me what you’re doing so I can learn.” 

“So, you have to keep the skin tight. It’s easier here because your upper arms aren’t all squishy.”

Junhee swallowed as Donghun placed a hand onto his shoulder and pulled the skin taut. 

“I’ll try without the ink first.” He didn’t want to leave him with just a couple of black dots if it was too painful. Besides, he wanted to get an idea of how this silver needle would feel going into the skin, since he was used to using a cactus needle. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Ready as he’d ever be.

Junhee’s breath stopped when he pressed the silver pin into his skin twice in quick succession, not giving him time to anticipate and brace. The anticipation was far worse than the actual pain, at least that’s what Donghun found when he had his first tattoo. He looked up at him, worried about how Junhee had stiffened. “This ok?”

“Yeah. It’s not so bad.” And it really wasn’t so bad, it was just the surprise of it. He let himself relax again. 

“I’m just gonna do a couple more.” He tried a few more experimental jabs, finding the right pressure. It did feel a lot different to what he was accustomed to and he had to re-adjust his muscle memory, the metal met with far less resistance and sunk easier into the skin with barely any friction and the point was much finer. It was a little more difficult to use because, but it would work perfectly fine as long as he took his time and was careful. It would also probably let him give a far more delicate looking design. Something fitting of the beauty it would b adorning. 

Taking the ink and dripping some of it onto his skin, he looked back up at the blonde’s face. “I’ll start for real now.”

Junhee nodded. 

“You just need to poke the needle through the skin with ink on it. You don’t have to go really deep, but deep enough. It’s hard to explain, it’s something you need to experience, really. Watch the first few but I’d like the design to be a surprise if that’s alright with you.”

“Ok…” Junhee watched carefully as Donghun began working, paying attention to how far the pin would penetrate. He’d expected to see more blood than there was, thankfully.

After a while, Junhee looked away. He found that the pain would almost disappear for a few minutes, but when Donghun would return to a sore, sensitive spot, it would make him hold his breath and flinch. 

“This needle is really fine so it’s good for creating details.” Donghun said absently at some point. Junhee was busy trying to not think about the sharp stinging, looking away so that whatever the design was would be a surprise like the other wanted. It was taking a lot longer than he’d anticipated, but he supposed he really didn’t have anything to go off of. He’d rather it not be a rushed process, anyway. It was going to be a part of him forever.

Forever.

Forever was a long time. And that felt just right. 

Forever seemed nice.

Thinking about it made him forget about the pain all together. Or maybe he’d just gotten used to the feeling.

Suddenly it was sore again when Donghun gently washed over his arm with a wet cloth from the water bowl. “It’s finished.”

He looked down at his shoulder. A small design of two delicate tufts of heather, elegant and pretty. The blackness standing out nicely despite the irritated redness immediately around the design. “Oh wow…”

“You like it? I haven’t done something like that before. I just thought you might like the lucky heather so you could be lucky always. Also, when you gave me that first piece it made my heart flutter and I think about it a lot…”

“I love it… Thank you so much.” Junhee smiled widely, the creases forming around his eyes. 

“It should be washed whenever possible. It’ll dry out and get a bit itchy but it’s small so should heal quickly as long as you don’t fuss at it.”

Junhee was too busy admiring his upper arm listen.

“Helloooo?”

“Oh, sorry, what?” The younger looked back up.

“I’ll explain again later.” He laughed, washing off the needle with the clean water. “Are you ready to try?”

“Uh yeah, where shall I do it?” 

“I suppose it would have been nice to have it in the same place but I already have things there.” At first he thought maybe his neck but that was possibly not a good idea for someone who’d never given a tattoo before. “Ah, here should be easy to do.” He opened his shirt and pointed to the place on his chest just below where his collarbones met each other and out of the way of the black sun over his heart.

“And you’re sure you trust me? I can’t draw, I’ve never tried. I haven’t even held a pen before.”

“This isn’t a pen.” He handed him the needle. “And I don’t care what it looks like. It’ll be from you so I’ll love it no matter what. Even if it looks like some strange wobbly blob.” Donghun lay down on his back to make it easier, an enthusiastic grin on his face.

“Cant believe you’re trusting me with this, you must be insane.”

“Maybe but I don't care. It isn’t about how it looks.”

“Ok… here goes…” He held the skin taught and dripped some of the ink down. “Like this?”

“Yeah. Perfect.”

Junhee gulped nervously. What if he messed up? He tentatively poked at Donghun’s skin, not even piercing it. 

“You have to actually penetrate the skin, Junhee.” Donghun laughed.

“I’m nervous, ok?” Even more nervous than when he was on the receiving end. 

“I know, sorry. Don’t worry about hurting me, I’ll have had worse.”

Junhee decided on a simple design but went about it slowly. 

Donghun didn’t flinch at all. Even though with his inexperience, Junhee would often press the needle in too deeply and the area was a sensitive one. He simply lay there with his eyes closed peacefully.

The drops of blood which would seep out every now and again made Junhee nervous, it seemed more than when he’d been having it done. “Are you sure I’m not hurting you a lot?”

“Mmhmm.” Donghun hummed calmly, not opening his eyes.

“Thought you might have fallen asleep again.” Junhee joked while he persevered. 

“Not quite.”

He went back to concentrating and soon, it was complete. He washed away the blood and ink carefully.

“Done?” Donghun cracked an eye open.

“I think so.”

The brunette sat up and looked down at the design. 

The line of a simple circle. 

Junhee was proud of himself that it was only a little wobbly. “It… it means forever.”

Forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed an increase in the total number of chapters due, that’s because I had to shift so much over into the next chapter ^^;
> 
> Anyways, come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheClamp2) ! :D If anyone chooses to follow me I’ll of course follow back. I post updates and also some extra visual content for fics (and sometimes photos of my cat…).
> 
> **NEXT TIME (ok, for real this time):** _Even the wind was hot and dry, filled with tiny flecks of dust already irritating his eyes and coating the back of his throat. Junhee didn’t know what exactly he’d expected, but this utterly barren, tortured landscape was simply nothing he could have even dreamt up in his most fever driven nightmares._
> 
> ———
> 
> **In other news:** I apologise for the delay to this chapter, guys. It was due to the loss of a dear friend, now one of the numbers lost to this pandemic. An amazing nurse and an amazing person. Always making me laugh and forever threatening to find my fanfiction and expose me x


	9. Laying in Snow and Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The real test begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: may cause feels. Peril lies ahead

They’d spent the final few days before they were due to set off preparing. Junhee had sent Donghun back to the apothecary for some salve to treat any burns from the sun or injuries which may occur along the way. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen, though. He’d returned with the salve some time later, having ended up distracted with asking more questions. 

Not that Junhee minded, it gave him time to think and prepare what they’d take with them. There were the essentials he’d usually take for a few days out in the forest, but he wasn’t entirely sure what they’d require deeper into the mountains where the snow disappeared. He’d never gone that far before. As for that they’d need in the wastes, apparently they’d have to carry as little as possible. Which meant he’d have to abandon his precious bow. He couldn’t even leave it safely at home, as they’d need it in the forest for food and protection.

The morning they departed, Junhee watched as Donghun pulled on the shirt he’d been wearing when he had first found him. The light brown fabric and red stitching, the way it had so obviously been repaired multiple times over the years. It still hung loosely but was way more filled out than when he’d last seen him wearing it. Donghun had been practically skin and bones back then. 

“Who’s watching who now?” Donghun asked coyly, almost teasing in his tone. 

“Sorry. I was just thinking how well I’ve fed you.” Junhee encircled his arms around the other’s waist, bumping their foreheads together. 

Pursing his lips, Donghun gave him a look. “Are you calling me fat?” 

“No, I’m saying you look good.” Then there was the circular tattoo Junhee had given him, plainly visible blow where his collar bones met. Still a little reddened but healing well, as was his own on his arm. 

“Awww. How sweet.” Donghun leaned in, connecting their lips in a slow, steady kiss. Junhee tasted like birch tea, the subtle flavour mixing with the honey sweetness still on Donghun’s own lips from breakfast.

Junhee was the one to eventually draw himself away. “If you get me all excited, we’ll never leave.”

Donghun caught him by the necklace, tugging him back in with a devilish grin. “I’ll have to get you all excited another time, then. Excited and all flustered, so pretty.” Donghun smirked as he released him, crossing the room to pull on the other layers of clothing over the shirt.

Junhee blushed, turning his back to save some of his own dignity. “I’m starting to think you’re quite the cad at heart.”

“I don’t recognise that word but I’ll assume you’re besmirching my character.”

“I am indeed.”

. . . 

The journey began easily, the forest quickly becoming thicker the deeper they travelled. But with the increasing density of the trees came a thinner amount of the snow on the ground, which made the inclining terrain easier to move over. 

As they walked, they could hear the birds tweeting and chattering around them. Some Donghun saw reminded him of the prince consort’s songbird, pretty and small. They looked different, though. They feathers were different colours and had different patterns. There were some larger birds, too. These he’d seen around a lot, larger and covered with black feathers tinged with iridescent blue and green. 

He also noticed there was something about the way Junhee held himself out here, he hadn’t paid it much mind before, but it was quite the contrast compared to how his body language had been in the city. There, he hunched his shoulders and made himself seem small like he didn’t want to be noticed. Out here, he walked with a brisk, confident stride, a straight back and head held high. He was comfortable out here. It was something Donghun loved to see because he liked to see the other happy but also because it made he himself feel safe here. 

They followed the river for most of the day as it gradually became smaller and turned into a stream you could jump across if you tried. 

As the night drew closer, they’d lit a campfire and cooked a grouse Junhee had taken with a perfectly aimed arrow. It tasted good, one of Donghun’s favourite things, actually. Even better than the hare stew. After they ate, he leaned against the blonde, beginning to get as comfy as possible until Junhee suddenly shifted. 

“Wait here.” Junhee told him as he stood like he was about to walk off into the rapidly darkening forest.

“Where are you going?” Donghun sat up straight, confused.

“I have to dispose of the bones downstream. The smell attracts predators.” 

“I’ll come with you.”

“No, no. Stay here with the fire in case it burns low. I’ll retrace the river and I’ll be able to see the flames from quite far. Don’t worry, I’ll be back.” He leaned over and pecked Donghun on the forehead. “Don’t look so concerned.” He patted his cheek and gathered the bones in a cloth, heading out into the dark night.

Junhee wasn’t stupid and he certainly wasn’t complacent. Even so, wandering the forest at night didn’t fill him with as much fear as busy, unfamiliar streets had. There were dangers out here, of course, but they were familiar dangers. Ones he knew how to avoid and deal with if he needed to. 

Donghun, on the other hand, had much less familiarity with this environment. Being sat there alone in the empty darkness brought back memories of when he’d first staggered through the area. This strange, cold, wet stuff he’d never seen before surrounding him. The tall, imposing plants all around. The frightening sounds of things in the distance he didn’t recognise. Being so, so cold, something he’d never felt before. Wrapping himself up in his own arms to try and warm up even a little. He remembered being curled up in a ball, so tired and shivering violently, crying because he was convinced it was the end. He’d survived the Wastes but was going to die alone in a strange land. He remembered forcing himself to stand and how much every muscle and joint seared with pain as he pushed through the exhaustion to keep moving. He’d felt stiff, barely able to move his knees or his hips. The desperate need to give up, step by agonising step, had gripped his stomach and made him fall over many times but he’d just kept lifting himself back up. 

He probably lived because of his stubbornness and unwillingness to die. Could you will away death?

He didn’t remember much after that point, except the vague recollection of seeing orange light in the distance and there had been a strange sense of calm as he closed his eyes. 

Of course, the next thing he’d been aware of had been Junhee’s face. 

So there he sat now, waiting for Junhee’s return, hugging his knees against his chest and staring into the flames. He felt alone and vulnerable, just like before.

What if something happened to Junhee out there? What if one of the wolves or bears he spoke of had attacked him? What if he would be left sat here forever and Junhee never came back? Anxiety prickled it’s insidious way up his spine and into the back of Donghun’s head where it burrowed itself in. He listened out for any sounds of Junhee being in distress out there. He may not know what bears or wolves looked like, but he’d be willing fight them off if he had to.

As time passed, he tried to rationalise with himself while his concern began to grow exponentially with each passing minute. Junhee knew what he was doing out here, right? While it was an alien place for Donghun, it was home to Junhee. So he would be ok, wouldn’t he? And if he was in trouble, he’d have yelled or screamed, right? 

Donghun had no idea how long he’d been gone at this point and he was starting to consider trying to find him. But Junhee told him to stay put and he didn’t have any bearings out here, he’d probably get lost and Junhee would have to come rescue him, rather than the other way round. 

But what if he was in trouble? 

God, he felt so damn useless and pathetic. 

The sound of howling in the distance made his blood run cold in his veins. The harrowing sound was followed by a chorus of other howls from all different directions. He’d heard those sounds when he was alone before. He’d cowered in a cave through one night when they sounded especially close, unsure if it was the sound of wild beasts or vengeful, restless spirits.

An even worse fear had filled him this time. Last time, he only feared his own death. Now, he feared something much, much worse. He closed his eyes tightly, hugging his knees closer, trying to calm himself. 

He was shaking, but not from the cold. 

It was fear.

“Sorry, I had to walk down quite far.” 

He looked up to see Junhee standing there in the light of the fire. He was safe, thank all the gods combined. He was back. Donghun burst into tears out of sheer relief.

“Donghun?” Junhee was kneeling beside him, pulling him into his arms immediately. “Donghun, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” There was an edge of panic to his voice. 

“I thought y-you’d never come back.” The older clung on in return, not wanting to ever let go again.

“I’m sorry. I should have warned you it would be a while.” He rubbed over Donghun’s back to soothe him. “Don’t worry, I’m here and I’m fine. We’re both fine.” 

Steadily, Donghun’s sobs subsided. “Sorry, I was panicking.” He mumbled against Junhee’s shoulder. He felt so stupid.

Junhee hushed him and wrapped a rather thin blanket from his bag around them both as they huddled together under the tree, the fire providing at least some warmth. “Everything’s fine, yeah? Come on, we need to try and sleep a little.”

A haunting howl echoed through the trees and Donghun tensed. 

“It’s just wolves. Don’t worry, the fire will keep them away.”

“I heard them when I came through here alone. I thought I was hearing wailing spirits.”

“Well, there are spirits in the forest, but none that would hurt you. They say the spirits are what make the trees grow.” Maybe one day he’d tell Donghun all the folktales. Stories which didn’t need the pages of books to bind them. 

“Maybe some will follow us and make trees grow in my home. Maybe they’ll bring rain, too. So I can stay there.” The brunette spoke wistfully. 

Something about that hurt. It shouldn’t have, but it stung sharply somewhere in Junhee’s chest. It was Donghun’s home, he only left to flee death. Of course he’d want to stay there. “You’d want to stay there if the rains came?” What if the rains did come? Junhee didn’t like the selfish thoughts that gave him. 

“I don’t know. It would depend.”

“On what?”

“Where you wanted to be. My home is happily wherever you are.”

Junhee held him tighter. “If we get there and the rain’s had already arrived... I’ll stay there with you.”

The sentiment brought the threat of tears back to Donghun’s eyes. The good kind of tears. 

Not that it would ever come to pass. Why would the rain start now? It hadn’t in Donghun’s own lifetime. 

It was a pipe dream, unattainable and fanciful. 

That’s why he needed to save as may people as he could before the city became merely a tomb for every single soul there. Including Yuchan. 

. . .

The following day, they held each other’s hands as they made their way through the forest. Junhee pointed out the various plants and what they could be used for, including some small white flowers.

“They’re called viburnum flowers. People sometimes sleep with them under their pillows to relieve uh… impure thoughts and dreams.” The younger explained. 

“Impure?”“Sexual.”

Donghun peered at the tiny flowers growing in clusters. “Ah, I see. I have a lot of impure thoughts about you but I have no desire to relieve them.” He grinned, sending a look at the Junhee. 

“You’re so shameless.” Junhee scoffed, as though he didn’t have impure thoughts of his own. Plenty of them, in fact. They usually involved Donghun’s hands and his mouth but lately have included… other things.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” 

“I knew you were a cad. A cad and a scoundrel.”

Donghun just laughed at that. 

“Hm, we’ll stop to rest for a short while soon.” Junhee simply ignored the laughter and pulled Donghun along by the hand. “How may days did it take for you to pass through the mountains?” 

“I don’t know. I lost track of day and night, sorry.”

“It’s fine, the mountains in this region run for hundreds of miles like a spine, but this is probably the thinnest point. Not that I’ve really been any further than this.” 

Donghun thought back. “There were trees but no snow for a while, I remember that.”

“Hopefully we’ll be able to stay at a lower altitude if we follow the valley but I think we’ll have to go upwards eventually.”

“I had to climb up and over a lot of rocks at first. That’s how I hurt my leg, the rocks were sharp and jagged and gave way easily in places. The air was still warm back there, though.”

Junhee suddenly stopped perfectly still in his tracks. “Wait.” 

Donghun looked at him, confused. “Why?”

Junhee pointed through the trees where a huge beast stood looking at them. “That. That is a bear.”

“Whoa…” Donghun’s eyes widened. Junhee hadn’t been kidding when he’d said to look out for something big and hairy. It was huge, he hadn’t ever seen an animal of that size in his life. 

Despite the hammering of his heart in his chest, Junhee remained outwardly calm, slowly taking some steps back. “We’re going to walk backwards slowly like this. If we run, it’s instinct to chase down prey will kick in. A person can’t outrun a bear.”

“So what if it decides to chase us?”

“Lay down on your front and pretend to be dead. An arrow will only make it angry and it’ll probably die a lingering death later on so I can’t defend us.”

“Pretend to be dead?”“Yeah. If it thinks you’re dead it should leave you be. If it paws at you, don’t panic. It’ll probably sniff at you and be curious because we smell weird to them.” They took more slow paces backwards. “It’s just really important you don’t panic, understand?” He reiterated. 

“Right. I can do that.”

“And don’t turn away from it while we’re backing off.”

Just when it seemed like they’d get away unscathed, the bear began making it’s way over to them.

“We’re gonna lay down now, ok? Keep still and silent.” Junhee dropped down to the ground, still holding Donghun’s hand and squeezing it tightly to reassure him. 

The bear came over and sniffed at Junhee’s hair, curiously. He held his breath and forced himself to remain calm as he felt the animal nudge him with it’s nose. It would be fine. It would leave him alone as soon as it lost interest.

The creature sniffed at him a little longer before finally leaving him be, as predicted. The bear had looked plump and well fed, thankfully. Donghun must have relaxed, too, because the vice like grip of his hand had loosened. 

When he opened his eyes, Junhee could see as it made its way over to Donghun. He preyed the other would remember his warning to not move an inch. The older’s grip on his hand tightened again. 

The bear pawed at Donghun, inspecting him. A tiny whimper came from the other and that was when Junhee’s heart moved up into his throat. 

He watched as the bear nudged Donghun with it’s head before taking his leg in it’s jaws and dragging him across the ground a few metres away from Junhee’s grasp. It proceeded to nudge him more, almost playing with him.

The thought of taking up his bow and arrow entered Junhee’s mind. He could take a shot at the animal. But no, he knew that would only make things worse. He had never felt so helpless in his life as he watched the bear roll Donghun around in the snow roughly like a sack of grain. 

No, no, no, no. This couldn’t happen. He couldn’t lay here and watch Donghun get hurt. He couldn’t see blood in the snow, but if he moved or made another noise it would surely kill him.

This was exactly what he feared. Having something, _someone_ , worth losing. 

He had to get it away from him. Had to give him a chance to escape. Donghun was probably utterly terrified right now. 

Junhee thought to himself that maybe if it came back for him, Donghun would be able to get away. He would probably be able to follow the stream back to town if something happened to Junhee, he didn’t need him to guide him back. Donghun could be safe.

If he met his own end this way… then so be it. At least he could breathe his last while amongst the trees and know someone he loved would be able to carry on. 

Sure of himself, he prepared to stand and distract the animal. But just as he moved to push himself off the ground, the bear finally lost interest in Donghun. It batted him one final time before beginning to walk away. 

Junhee lay perfectly still for a few minutes longer, his chest tight from the adrenaline. He made sure to wait until it was well and truly gone before springing up and rushing over to Donghun. 

“Are you ok? Did it hurt you at all?” He frantically patted over his body, looking for blood or any other signs of injury. 

“N-No, I don’t think so.” Donghun sat up and inspected his leg where the bear had gripped him with it’s jaws. His hands trembled franticly, noticeably shaken by the encounter.

“You scared the absolute life out of me.” Junhee pulled him into an embrace. 

“Now you know how I felt when I thought you’d been eaten by something last night.”

“Thought I was abut to watch you get eaten right in front of me.” Junhee’s voice quivered. As much as he wanted to cling on and never let go, he reluctantly released him. “Let’s go quickly, we don’t want it coming back for a second try.” 

“I-I don't think I like bears.” 

“Bears are just as beautiful as any creature out here, but it just happens that we’re below them on the food chain. She likely has cubs to feed.”

“You wouldn’t say that if it had your leg in it’s mouth. I could feel it’s teeth pressing against my skin, I thought it was about to bite clean through me.”

“Don’t say that, I’m already a wreck. Thank the gods, I swear they really do favour you.”

“If your gods favouring me consists of a beast almost having me as a snack, I certainly wouldn’t want to be on their bad side.”

____________________  
____________________

More days progressed and the landscape changed steadily. The trees thinned out to sparseness and the snow disappeared, revealing soil which in turn gave way stony ground. 

They’d had to climb some difficult rockfacess at times, much like the ones which caused Donghun to fall and injure himself on his first journey. 

A small part of him hoped maybe he’d coincidentally happen across where he’d dropped his knife and find it again against all probability. But of course, he didn’t. 

Day by day it became noticeably warmer until after six more days, they came to the final rocky ridge at the end of the mountains. There was a large, claw-like rock formation which stood out for miles. Donghun could remember seeing it from out on the Wastes, so he knew they were close. It would also make for a good landmark to leave their belongings behind. 

“We’ll leave our things here, it should be easy to find on our return.”

They undressed down to one layer of clothing. Loose fitting, thin fabric. They’d already shed most of it in the already warm climate. They even exchanged their footwear for something lighter which would still protect the soles of their feet from the burning sand. 

They had to leave behind anything unnecessary, only taking a knife each, bladders of water, a small bag of dried grains, salve for burns and some swathes of thin cotton.

“Ah, goodbye old friend. I’ll be back for you.” Junhee set down his bow and quiver of arrows.

“You and your beloved will be reunited soon.” Donghun teased, trying to lift Junhee’s sombre despondency. 

“At least my beloved bow doesn’t tease me.”

“Sorry.” Donghun kissed his temple. 

It took a few hours to clamber over the ridge, but as they crested it, they found themselves looking out over the emptiness of the Deadland unfolding before them in it’s ghastly vastness amongst the red haze.

From the high plateau of the mountain’s edge, Junhee could see out for further than he ever thought possible. The desolate, empty land simply stretched on for eternity. In the distance, reddish mounds rose from the ground in undulating patterns standing out against the horizon. Aside from that, it was all completely flat. 

“See the dunes out there? That’s where we need to head.” Donghun pointed out. “The city is beyond the dunes and over the flats.”

Junhee couldn’t find words. He was rendered utterly speechless by what his eyes were seeing. No wonder nobody else other than Donghun made the crossing. He couldn’t fathom anyone surviving such a journey on scarce supplies. Even the air was reddened by the dust. Dust and nothingness. He could see no life, no trees, no nothing. Just scorched open space. That’s all there was out there. 

It was terrifying. 

“Come, you need to pull this up around your face. Otherwise the dust gets into your lungs.” Donghun carefully brought the swathe of cotton material over Junhee’s head and around over his face to cover his nose and mouth, also protecting the top of his head and his neck from the sun. “It’ll be hot down there but you must keep this on. If the sun is directly on your head it’ll cause a sickness.”

“It gets hotter than this?”

Donghun’s eyebrows knit together for a moment. He was worried. Junhee could tell and it concerned him. “Yeah. A lot hotter. Especially on the dunes.”

They made their way down to the flat land below. Junhee remained quiet, still trying to take it all in. Even Donghun was quiet, carrying this uneasy aura about him. Of course he was uneasy, he knew exactly what lay ahead for them. At least Junhee had the luxury of some blissful ignorance, rapidly decreasing as it was.

Even the wind was hot and dry, nothing like the cold, snowy winds of home. Junhee would take a blizzard over this any day. 

“It’s important we keep moving at a brisk pace.”

A strange, scaled creature scuttled out from between some small rocks, only to meet it’s demise by the sharp end of Donghun’s knife swiftly being thrown. 

“We can save this to eat later.” Donghun picked it up and deftly gutted it, letting the blood drain before hanging it off his belt, met with a mildly repulsed look from the younger. “Its a lizard.” He supplied. 

“To eat?”

“Yeah. It’ll dry in the sun without rotting, actually makes it easier to eat.” 

Junhee wrinkled his nose at the idea but followed as they kept walking again, the weight of how hard this would be was dawning more and more by the moment. He was already struggling in the sun, sweat dripping into his eyes. 

They didn’t stop to rest until the sun began sinking lower on the horizon and Junhee had fallen a couple steps behind, he would have been further behind if Donghun hadn’t taken his hand. He was exhausted, his muscles ached terribly and his mouth was so damn dry. He’d tried to drink more but Donghun reminded him they needed to ration what precious water they had.

Finally, they came to a stop. Junhee flopping down to sit on the baking ground and rest his sore feet. 

“This’ll be a quick break.” Donghun sat down next to him. 

Junhee whined, leaning limply against him, causing Donghun to struggle to remain upright himself. He was exhausted, too. Just better at not showing it. 

“Here, eat some of the lizard and drink a little water. We’ll keep going until the sun sets.”

The lizard was frankly, absolutely disgusting. He’d watched in horror as Donghun just took a bite without hesitation. He could only stomach a few nibbles of the thing, himself. 

“You need to eat it, Junhee.”

“I can’t. It isn’t even cooked. I’m fine, you have it. I’m not hungry.”

“You don’t know when you’ll be able to eat next.” He took what remained of the lizard and began to cut it into pieces, skilfully removing the small bones and slicing the meat into ribbons. “Here, it’ll bake in the sun quickly like this. Hang it off your belt and it’ll be more palatable soon.”

“You must think I’m an idiot.”

Donghun didn’t say anything for a moment. “Have you been so hungry that your body begins to consume itself?”

“…N-No.” Donghun probably really did think he was an idiot, didn’t he? Not to mention insensitive. Donghun ate anything you could possibly put in front if him and he did that because he knew what it felt like to starve. He could never afford to be fussy. Junhee opened his mouth to apologise, but Donghun interrupted him before he could say anything. 

“Then I don’t think you’re an idiot. I know it’s gross and I never want you to be so desperate for sustenance that you lose your sense of disgust. So don’t apologise, be disgusted.”

“You’re too understanding for your own good. You should get mad at me at some point.”

“I promise I’ll get mad at you for something at some point.” Donghun tugged the lower half of his head covering back down enough to show his smile. 

. . . 

The winds stood still during the short nights and the temperature at least dropped a little while the sun wasn’t blazing overhead, so it was a little more comfortable. Not that Junhee could sleep much, anyway. Every time the exhaustion took over and let him begin drifting off to sleep, he’d feel something crawling over him and startle him. 

Donghun would assure him it was just insects and that they came out at night when it’s cooler. He said they won’t hurt him if he doesn’t mess with them. It was probably just as well it was too dark to see anything because these insects felt awfully big.

It was even worse when on the third day, Junhee spotted a spider in the early daylight. Only it was nothing like any spider he’d ever seen. He was used to small things hanging from cobwebs in corners of rooms. This thing was huge, about the size of his hand and light brown in colour. The very thought that those were probably what had been crawling over him at night made him feel sick to his stomach. 

They reached the cactus patch Donghun had mentioned on that their day, too. 

“So these are those cactus things? They look so weird. So many thorns!” Junhee walked around one of the bizarre looking plants. 

“They need a lot of needles to protect them. They’re full of water and nutrition so everything will want to eat them.” He took his knife and began to carefully carve at one of the cacti. “Sit, we’ll rest for a while, these have high water content and there’ll be water in the ground.”

The blonde sat himself down, utterly exhausted. The fading light was already bringing minor respite from the sun.

“These are a variety which are safe to eat, if I’m…” He paused. “If I’m not here, eat only this kind. Others are poisonous.” He took the chunk he’d cut off and carefully cut off the skin and sharp spines, passing the piece of cactus flesh over to Junhee.

“Thank you.” He bit into it and twisted up his face at the horrible bitterness. “ Ugh!”

“Sorry.” Donghun laughed. “Shoulda warned you.” The older chuckled and sat with him, preparing his own piece. “There should be lizards and snakes around here, let me know if you see any.” 

Junhee nodded, scanning around them for anything moving in the dying light. The cactus may have tasted dreadful, but it did wanders for his perpetually dry mouth. 

“I’ll dig down for water when the ground cools a little more. The best time is at dusk around cactus patches and out on the flats. It’ll take a few hours for the water to fill, though. We may as well sleep.”

“How far is the city?”

“It’ll be a few more days. We’ll follow the cactus line for a few miles at dawn. It’s physically easier to travel at night but harder to navigate and I need to keep my bearings.” He took a bite of the cactus piece without even the slightest cringe. “The dunes are the hardest part. We really need to cross them quickly because there’s nowhere to find water we can’t sleep on them, the dunes constantly move and the sand would bury us alive. After that, we head out towards a rocky outcrop. It’s about two days from there and then we get to the flats, you’ll be able to see the city in the distance.” Donghun explained. At least the rocks would provide some shelter from any sand storms, that was what he was most terrified of. A swirling mass of sand which could flay the skin from your bones. Junhee didn’t need to know how likely being caught in one of those was. 

“I don’t know how you’re facing doing this again, having known what it was like…”

“I have you to keep me alive this time.”

“Hmm…” Junhee frowned, unconvinced. This progressing feeling had started up from the moment he laid eyes on this land had gained momentum with each step he pushed himself to take. The feeling that he couldn’t do this. 

“Look. Do you know what that is?” Donghun suddenly pointed to a creature making it’s way amongst the cacti. It had a long body covered in scales and no legs.

Ah, Junhee knew exactly what that is. “A snake, right? I can see why you thought an eel was a snake.”

“Land eel.” Donghun joked and took out his knife. “It’ll also be dinner for us later.”

“Ugh.”

“It tastes better than lizard. I like snake.”

____________________  
____________________

When they reached the dunes, Junhee hadn’t anticipated the extra heat. Somehow it just seemed to build and build the further they walked. It was a heat which seemed to bake him right down into his bones. All-consuming and impossible to escape from. His eyes stung from all the sand in the air and he could barely see through the fabric covering his face, trying to protect his eyes and lungs. The soft sand was incredibly hard to walk over, far harder than even powdery snow. 

Donghun kept up a reasonable pace while Junhee felt like he was just slowing him down. He was a burden, trailing behind. This was just completely unlike anything he’d experienced. Even the air he breathed was just so hot and dry. Breathing it felt like there wasn’t any air at all, like he was suffocating. 

Donghun took his hand. “I know it’s hard but we need to move as quickly as our bodies allow us. The longer we stay out there, the more dangerous it is.” Donghun felt cruel, forcing the younger along.

“I can’t… I’m sorry.” Junhee felt like his clothes were suffocating him as they clung to his sweaty body, made heavier by the fine red dust sticking to him. He tried to pull them off, shedding the headscarf first and exposing his face to the ferocious air. The blistering, abrasive wind stinging his cheeks and eyes immediately, the dust making him cough and gag. It stuck to the back of his parched throat, making him feel as though he was choking and drowning at the same time. 

“No, Junhee. You need to keep them on, otherwise the sun will burn you. It’ll be worse with exposed skin.”

“Please, I can’t breathe. I need to take it off.” He struggled weakly, nausea clawing at his stomach and his vision blurring. He tried to focus on Donghun’s face, but all he could see was a red haze and the vague shape of him.

“Junhee, come on.” He tilted Junhee’s head back and helped him drink some of what little water they had remaining. 

He was on the ground now, feeling the burning sand under him. He didn’t even recall falling. Everything was spinning around. He still tried fruitless to tug at his own clothing more to free himself from discomfort, but his hands were stilled. 

“Junhee, you need to drink more.” Donghun sounded so far away. 

Oh god. He was so tired. Everything was so dark and fuzzy at the edges and there was this throb in his head and ringing in his ears.

“Don’t close your eyes, ok? Please. Please don’t close your eyes, Junhee. Look at me. We need to get moving.”

Junhee felt more water in his mouth but he couldn’t even will his body to swallow it. 

“Please drink. Junhee? Please. I’m begging you. I need you!” Donghun sounded panicked. 

He managed to force his eyes back open for a moment. “Dong…” He croaked, even with his eyes open everything was going dark, the world disappearing behind black spots. Even the fierce glare of the sun was turning black. 

“Junhee!” 

And that was it. 

Nothingness followed. 

A numb body and numb mind. 

Perhaps a distant, vague sense of movement. But nothing tangible. Nothing he could grasp onto. Just a very strange nothingness which blended into even more nothingness.

An empty void he slipped so easily into. 

An almost welcoming kind of void.

Like cold arms reaching out to embrace him, providing relief from the physical torture of consciously taking another breath. 

Peaceful nothings. 

If only it didn’t feel so lonely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think? Haha this chapter was quite a heavy one, right? Sorry about that!
> 
> ———
> 
> **NEXT TIME:** _The boy had a mop of reddish brown hair and tattoos around his upper arms just like Donghun had. He also had the same black sun symbol over his heart, visible under his too-big, mostly open shirt. He, too, had earrings filled with small beads and wore a string of them around his neck._
> 
> _“Yuchan.” The kid pointed to himself with a big smile on his face._
> 
> ———
> 
> Come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheClamp2) ! :D I post updates about updates and future projects as well as some extra content. (And pics of my cat... sorry.)  
> If you choose to follow me I of course follow back.


	10. Snake Venom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally meet Yuchan!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note: Obviously there’s a lot of lore that goes with this story and some details of religious practice. I’ve tried to not make it sound similar to any specific belief system so any similarities are purely coincidental. I don’t want to offend anyone ;~;

When the world slowly started to come back, the first thing Junhee was aware of was being moved. Shaken, in fact. Someone was jostling him around by the shoulders. 

“Junhee? Junhee.” An unfamiliar voice called his name. The voice had an accent like Donghun’s but stronger. So strong, in fact, that he barely recognised his own name. 

“Mmm…” He groaned at the movement. God, his entire body ached from top to bottom and his mouth was so dry and gritty with dust coating it. His head was throbbing with a terrible kind of dull pain and the ringing in his ears still persisted from what he last remembered. 

“Junhee drink?” The voice again. 

Drink? God, yes. He needed water. 

He cracked his eyes open to see someone was leaning over him, looking down. His vision was so fuzzy that he couldn’t quite focus on the person’s features. 

“Water. Junhee drink.” The person said again as he helped Junhee sit himself up enough that he’d be able to drink. His muscles protested and the skin on the back of his neck felt tight and it stung, he groaned in discomfort with the movement. A copper bowl of water was held to his lips and as soon as he felt the moisture on his tongue, he gulped it down desperately. It hurt to swallow, his throat felt like it was raw and full of glass but the water did help to soothe it a little. 

The bowl ran empty far too quickly and he whined in protest when there was none left.

“More soon.” The person promised, setting the empty bowl down and laying him back down carefully. The room felt like it was spinning and so he closed his eyes again. He couldn’t think straight. He didn’t know where he was or what was happening, but his mind was too exhausted to make any attempt at making sense of the world right now. It didn’t matter who the person was.

He could feel himself slipping back into unconsciousness. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed but when he opened his eyes again, he was curled up on his side. 

His head felt a little better and his vision was clearer than before. Slowly, he sat himself up to observe his surroundings. The room consisted of red stone walls without windows and above were swathes of fabric draped between woven ropes, at least providing shade. He was laid on a pile of blankets and a red and white pattered rug on the floor to keep him from laying in the red dust that had intruded its way inside. Elsewhere in the room was another pile of blankets but they were on the other side and his eyes couldn’t manage focus that far just yet. Instead, his eyes fell on the young man sat in the middle of the room, staring at him intently with curious eyes.

Was this the person from before? Junhee could see him properly now. He was young, probably not long out of his teens, if he were even out of them at all. He had a mop of dark reddish brown hair and tattoos around his exposed upper arms just like Donghun had. He also had the same black sun symbol over his heart and a collection of other small symbols over his abdomen, visible under his too-big, open shirt with intricate red stitching and repairs. He also had earrings filled with the small greenish blue beads and wore a looped string of them around his neck like the ones Donghun wore around his wrist. There was a ring through one of his nipples but there was nothing through his eyebrow. Instead, he had a gold ring through his lip. In addition, there was a gold band around his ankle with a larger one of the stones hanging off it, about the size of a fingertip. 

He had a couple of stone and copper bowls and a small basket with him laid out on the floor in a semi-circle. It looked like he’d been busying himself by drawing patterns in the dusty sand on the floor with his finger. 

“Um… hello?” Junhee asked slowly. His voice sounded terrible, so croaky and scratchy. 

“Hello!” The kid smiled and scooted over across the floor with one of the bowls. “Water. Drink more.” He offered it out and Junhee eagerly accepted it, drinking it down quickly. 

“Thank you…”

“My name is Yuchan.” The kid smiled widely, taking back the empty container. 

Yuchan… this was Yuchan? The one Donghun talked about? Junhee sat up straighter, suddenly panicking. “Donghun. Where’s Donghun?”

“Donghun? He sleeps.” Yuchan pointed over at the other heap of blankets. “Carried Junhee on his back very far.” Yuchan bit his lip and visibly searched for words to explain. “People found Donghun and Junhee on the flats? Sorry. I don’t speak unified language well. Hard to explain.”

Junhee scrambled across the floor to the heap of blankets, with his fuzzy vision he hadn’t noticed him before but Donghun was laid out there unconscious in the nest of thin fabrics. His cheeks looked reddened and sore like they were when he’d found him. “Donghun?” He shook him, earning only a quiet groan. “Please wake up.” He panicked. How far had the older carried him exactly? 

Yuchan reached for his shoulder. “Donghun just need to sleep. Junhee please come?” He pointed to the rug Junhee had been laid on, shuffling over and picking up a smaller pot to show Junhee what was inside. It contained this thick looking translucent jelly-like substance. “For here.” The boy patted the back of his own neck.

Oh, the back of his neck was probably burned. No wonder it stung so much. “For my neck?” Foolishly, Junhee touched it experimentally and winced. 

“Yes.” Yuchan nodded. “Please? Promised I would look after Junhee." 

Junhee looked back down at Donghun laying there and ran his fingers through his hair carefully, reluctant to leave his side. 

Yuchan must have noticed. “Was wake when you arrive but then he sleep. Will not die, just need sleep. Please come?”

Slowly, he came to sit in front of the younger on the rug. 

“Take off.” The younger motioned to his shirt. 

“I… would rather not take it off completely…” Exposing his body to Donghun was one thing but this kid was a stranger to him. “Is this enough?” He tugged the back of it down, hopefully exposing enough of the damaged skin.

Yuchan looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t. Instead, he knelt down behind Junhee. “Pain.” He warned before rubbing some of the unknown stuff into the burn.

It stung immediately, making Junhee jolt in surprise and barely hold in a yelp, gritting his teeth.

“Sorry.” Yuchan rubbed it in carefully. Despite looking relatively innocuous, it had an objectionable, sour odour to it.

Fortunately, the initial pain faded quickly and actually, it felt a lot better after that. It was even easier to move, his skin not feeling as tight afterward. 

“I’ll get food. Stay.” Yuchan stood, wobbling a little off his centre of gravity as he did so and hurried out of the room. 

Junhee had watched him go and noticed how the boy walked with a rather pronounced limp, seemingly favouring his right leg over his left. Was he hurt or something? Junhee frowned a little and moved to be next to Donghun, dragging the rug with him and laying down on his side next to him. Close enough hear the other’s slow, steady breathing. He was thankful they were both in once piece, even though it was probably only thanks to Donghun. 

He remembered the moments before passing out and how panicked the older had sounded. Junhee cursed himself for being so weak, and because of that weakness Donghun had to carry him. Reaching out to take the older’s hand gently, he coxed his eyes again. 

He must have fallen asleep again because it did seem like much time at all had passed before Yuchan had returned, placing a hand on Junhee’s forearm and shaking him gently. “Food.” He said gently. 

Junhee rolled over onto his back before sitting up again.

“For you.” Yuchan offered him more water and a bowl containing some sort of dried out strips of meat. Honestly, Junhee didn’t care enough to ask what it was. He just ate it, anyway. It was tough and took a lot of chewing to get through the leathery texture but it was a lot more palatable than the lizards. Honestly, anything was more palatable than those. 

Yuchan sat in front of him and watched him, staring intently like Junhee was some mythical creature. Being stared at in this way while he ate would normally make Junhee incredibly uncomfortable, but there was something endearing about the young man. 

“You are naked.” The kid said suddenly as soon as the blonde was done eating. 

“N-Naked?”

“None these.” Yuchan motioned to the handful of tattoos on himself and the earrings he wore. “Naked.”

“Oh. Northmen don’t have those.”

“Northmen?” Yuchan cocked his head. 

Oh yeah, that wasn’t their word for them. “Othermen.” He corrected himself. 

“You don’t have?” The boy scooted closer to him and lifted Junhee’s shirt, peering at his chest. 

Junhee almost instinctively swatted him away, unused to someone who wasn’t Donghun looking at him and pawing at his clothes. But he knew that the from what Donghun had said about what was acceptable to him that Yuchan didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable. So, instead, he just showed the young man the small heather tattoo on his shoulder. “I have one.”

“Oh!” He poked at the small tattoo. “One?” He raised one finger. 

Junhee nodded. “Donghun made it.”

“Donghun?” Yuchan beamed. 

“Yes.” He nodded.

Yuchan looked giddy with glee and rushed out a sentence which Junhee didn’t understand. His accent was quite hard to decipher. 

He didn’t even have a chance to ask him to repeat himself when he saw the most horrific looking insect he’d ever had the displeasure of laying his eyes on. Even worse than the spiders had been. 

It was larger than his hand and had sharp pincers and mandibles along with a curled barbed tail. It had a black, tough looking exoskeleton and was making it’s way out from under a basket near the door and heading right towards them. 

“Wha!” Junhee skittered back across the floor, possibly faster than he’d ever moved in his life.

Yuchan looked over at the hideous thing scuttling around on the dusty floor, seeming completely unbothered by it’s presence. “Scorpion.” He said simply before picking it up gently. 

“Is that an insect? It’s huge!” Junhee was horrified.

The younger shrugged, not understanding what Junhee was saying. He held the wretched thing out to closer him, making the blonde scurry away even further. “Afraid of poison?” Yuchan giggled. 

“Poison? Don’t touch it if it’s poisonous!” 

Yuchan laughed loudly in amusement. “Safe. Uh…” He searched for the words. “Small poison.” He pointed at one of the pincers. “If these big.” He made a grabby action with his hand to make his point clearer. “Mean small poison. If these small, mean big poison and you die. This is safe scorpion.” He set it down and the thing crawled towards Junhee, making him yelp again and sending him retreating further until his back hit the wall. 

“Go away!” He shooed the thing, as if that would make it leave him alone. 

“No danger! Can eat it.” Yuchan pointed to his mouth and made a chomping motion. 

“Eat!?” 

At the disgusted look on Junhee’s face, Yuchan erupted into loud fits of laughter again to the point of having to dab tears away. 

“It’s not funny!”

“Junhee very funny!” He cackled loudly, gripping his sides. 

Even though it was at his expense, the bright smile and the way Yuchan laughed made Junhee smile behind his affronted pout.

“You two… are so loud.” Donghun groaned, sitting upright slowly in the corner. _“Yuchan, are you scaring him?”_ He switched into his mother tongue. 

_“You’re awake! Drink some water quickly!”_ Yuchan scrambled over to help him drink.

Junhee rushed to his side, too. “Donghun, are you okay?”

Donghun took some big gulps of the water. “I’ll be fine. I’m glad you’re well enough to scream over a scorpion.” Donghun smiled sleepily and rubbed over his face. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Junhee.”

“Me? You’re the one who’s been out cold for this long.” He threw his arms around him. “You stupid idiot, why would you carry me after I collapsed?” Junhee pulled back sharply and frowned, his hands remaining on Donghun’s shoulders. 

“I-I uh…”

_“Oh he’s mad at you, I’ll go to the temple and get some stuff.”_ Yuchan raised his hands with a little giggle and hauled himself up to his feet, fleeing the room and still leaning his centre of gravity off to the one side with a flinch. 

“Yuchan said you carried me.” Junhee looked visibly annoyed at him. 

“Not all the way. Just until nightfall. Then a little further but I couldn’t keep going. It was fine, though. There were two herders out and spotted us. We were really lucky…” The older drank the rest of the water. 

“Herders?”

“They take the goats out to graze on the rough vegetation out there between the flats and the dunes. There’s some tough grasses near there the goats can eat. They also go to pick cacti and their roots for food and medicine while they’re out there.” Donghun explained. “They had supplies of water and a cart.”

“You’re an idiot. You could have died!” Junhee shook his shoulders head before letting go and covering his face with his hands, feeling himself welling up. 

"I was fine, I lay on the cart with you for a while to regather some of my strength, don’t worry. We’re both here, aren’t we?” Donghun hadn’t heard Junhee sound so angry and upset. 

“But you didn’t know you’d run into people willing to help. It was just dumb luck. How cold you think you’d be able to carry me all the way here?”

“I… I couldn’t leave you, Junhee… I had to get us off those dunes otherwise we’d both end up buried under them, I hoped you’d wake up at some point, I couldn’t le—”

“You should have left me behind. There’s no point in us both dying.” Junhee cut him off, shoving him weakly out of frustration. “You wouldn’t have survived, Donghun.”

Donghun narrowed his eyes at him. “And what would you have done in my position?” 

Junhee froze for a second, his words trapped in his throat. “I— I…” Honestly, what would he have done? He’d have probably tried to carry Donghun, too. He’d have probably tried to bring him back they way they’d come and likely would have died trying. “I… I’m sorry…”

“Rationally I should have have left you because yes, we would have both ended up dead if nobody saw us. But I am not a rational man when it comes to you, Junhee.” He pulled the blonde into an embrace. “I would rather the sand swallow me along with you than witness the desert take you back into the earth.”

Junhee let himself slump against him, giving in as the fight drained from him. 

“You’re okay, though?” Donghun asked after a while.

“I think so, yeah. Yuchan put some stuff on my burn. Are you sure you’re okay?” He sat back, the proximity overheating him a little. 

“Just a little sore. I just need to rest for now, we both do. Tomorrow I’ll show you around. I want to show you the temple.” He laid himself back down.

Junhee stared up at the fabric draped from the ceiling and the sun streaming in from the edges, showing up the shadows of the cracks in the walls. “How long did it take to get here after I passed out?” 

“Another two days, it took about half a day longer with the goats and the cart. It was after nightfall by the time we got here, though.”

Junhee rubbed at his head. “My head really hurts, is that normal?”

“Yeah, it’s the dehydration. There should be more water outside the door, I’ll get it.” Donghun shifted to get up but Junhee stopped him. 

“I’ll get it.” He insisted and shakily lifted himself to his feet. His head spun for a moment, feeling dizzy and a little nauseous. “Whoa.” 

“Junhee?”

“I’m fine.” Junhee blinked the black spots away from his vision. “I just hadn’t stood until now. I’m fine, though.” He took the empty copper bowl and gave gave himself a few seconds before he headed over to the door, a little cautious that the scorpion was probably still in the room somewhere. He didn’t care if Yuchan said it wasn’t dangerous, nothing that looked so sinister could be harmless. The door was an open arch with torn fabric hanging down. When he pushed it aside he saw it opened out into a small hallway, entirely closed in except for a staircase descending, made from the same red stone as the walls. 

There was a large carved stone basin lined with some sort of shiny gold-toned metal, probably copper. It was deep and looked like it would hold a lot but the water was only about an inch deep. He scooped as much as he could into the bowl and brought it back into the room. He felt guilty for drinking so much, it hadn’t occurred to him ow precious a resource it was. “Sorry there wasn’t much water.” He held it out to Donghun. 

“You first.” 

Junhee only took one sip to dampen his parched throat, giving the rest over to Donghun. He probably needed it more. 

“We’ll go fetch more tomorrow morning to repay Yuchan for looking after us. It’ll save him walking all that way and carrying the heavy buckets.” 

“Oh yeah, I noticed he limps a little. Is he injured?” He settled himself back down on the rug. 

“He was bitten by a snake when he was younger.” The older paused to drink. “Some snakes won’t do you much harm but some are extremely poisonous. Some have poison which will cause you to have terrible fits and stop you from being able to breathe, while some will poison the blood and rot the flesh. That’s the kind which bit him. It causes the skin the blister and swell and the muscle die. Even if the person bitten survives the blood fever you still need to cut the dead flesh away so that it doesn’t poison the person even more. It happened when we were younger, we were messing around climbing around the old city walls and the snake was hidden amongst the stones.” He looked down into the bowl in his hands. “We all thought he would die for sure. He suffered a sweating sickness for weeks. Most at least lose a whole limb or simply die so he was lucky. It only left him with a weakened, sometimes painful leg. It’s why I couldn't bring him with me…"

Of course, to walk that distance would be impossible with an injury like that. “I felt so guilty. I shouldn’t have left him. I just had to try and get out… people might think I’m a coward for running and I probably am. Staying here meant death. The water will run out in the next couple of years. I would have rather died trying to escape my fate and go down with a fight than spend my last days amongst these crumbling walls in passive acceptance.”“Donghun… you are probably the least cowardly person I know.” He reached out and gently traced Donghun’s sun reddened cheekbone. “And I’m glad you were brave and stubborn enough to make it all the way to me.” 

“I’m glad I’m stubborn, too.” He took the younger’s hand and interlocked their fingers. 

“I’m sorry I was angry with you. I wasn’t angry with you, really. Just at myself for being weak.”

“If I’m not stubborn, you aren’t weak.”

“Either way, it’s no excuse for yelling at you like that.”

“Your voice is so loud, I think you yell more than you realise. I’m used to it.”

Junhee’s scoffed at that. “I don’t have the energy to argue with that. I’ll argue later.”

__________________________

For a change, Donghun had actually woken up before Junhee the next morning. But only because Yuchan had woken him by poking at his cheek incessantly. 

_“What?”_

_“We’re out of water, I’ll go out to the wells.”_ Yuchan informed him. 

_“No, I’ll go. I’ll take Junhee to help me.”_ Reluctantly, he pulled his hand away where it was still tanged with the blonde’s and sat up, stretching out his back and shoulders. _“I hope he’ll be alright out there. He isn’t used to this climate. It’s never hot in the Otherland.”_ Oddly, it had been so long since he’d spoken anything other than the unified language that his native one felt almost strange on his tongue. 

_“Never? Oh of course, there’s no sun there, right?”_ Yuchan cocked his head. _“You look so strong, though. I almost didn’t recognise you. What on earth have you been doing in the Otherland?”_

_“I’ve eaten well, Junhee is a hunter so there’s always food available. Oh, and by the way, they do have a sun there. It’s just weak. Junhee said it’s the same sun but I’m not sure I believe that. It’s bright but it isn’t hot. It’s so cold there that you have to cover your whole body all the time in a lot of layers. When I crossed the mountains I couldn’t believe the cold, it would have killed me if he didn’t find me and care for me.”_

_“He found you?”_

_“Yeah, I collapsed near where he lives. I just couldn’t force my body to move another single step. I couldn’t feel my limbs anymore and I was shaking all over. I thought for sure I’d die.”_ Even thinking about it now made his chest tighten up. 

_“I can’t believe you came back with a handsome exotic lover who rescued you from certain death!”_ Yuchan cackled. _“His hair looks so crazy. And I thought Othermen were supposed to be gross and wrinkly but he’s so pretty!”_

_“Sshh!! Don’t be loud, you’ll wake him up.”_ Donghun scolded. _“I assure you they all look pretty normal. No wrinkly wet skin or whatever. Their hair is usually like Junhee’s or like a really light brown. And they aren’t all thieves, either.”_

_“I always thought that last part sounded a bit outlandish.”_

_“But you didn’t think wet wrinkly skin was outlandish?”_

_“Hey, Donghun? I don’t know if it was just the nonsense your fried brain up was babbling, but when you showed up you said the king of the Otherland would help if you return with a artefact from here. Is that true?”_ _“Yeah. I’ll get you out of here, I promise. And anyone else who wants to make the crossing.”_

_“That means you’ll be leaving again soon?”_

_“Yeah…”_ Donghun looked down, not wanting to see the disappointment in the younger’s eyes.

_“Just say goodbye this time.”_

_“I will. I promise. I’m so sorry…”_

_“You could have stayed there and lived happily.”_

_“No I couldn’t.”_ Donghun looked back up. _“It wouldn’t feel right for me to live so comfortably without trying to help. How could I sit around with a full stomach and wastefully laying in tubs of heated, sweet smelling water while knowing that one well after another runs dry here?”_

_“I wouldn’t have blamed you…”_

_“I can’t live selfishly like that.”_

Yuchan plonked himself into Donghun’s lap with a cheery smile. _“Hey, tell me more about the Otherland.”_

Wrapping his arms around the younger’s waist securely, Donghun thought. Of all the things he’d seen there, where would he even begin? _“Well, there are these vast open bodies of water. Lakes. Imagine if the flats were all deep water. That’s what they’re like. There’s snow everywhere. It’s soft and fluffy and falls from the sky, it’s made of frozen rain and covers all the ground. There’s forests, areas filled huge plants the height of buildings and smaller plants in amongst them, especially where there’s less snow. Lots of weird animals, too.”_ He thought about what else had surprised him. _“Their customs are really different to ours and at first Junhee kept burning this stuff around me because he thought I was gonna bring misfortune into his home. I can’t be offended because I thought he was going to rob me for my jewellery.”_ He chuckled at that. It seemed so ridiculous now. _“But you know what? I wont tell you anything else about it. You’ll have to wait and see it with your own eyes. The king will help me and I’ll come again with supplies and we can bring people back. I’ll show you the lake. I can’t wait to see the look on your face.”_ Yuchan looked excited by the idea. _“I can’t wait.”_ He looked over at Junhee still fast asleep. _“I can’t really articulate it to him so please tell him I owe him a debt which I can never replay for looking after you, but also for making you so happy. I can tell how stupidly in love you are and it makes my heart soar.”_ He wrapped is arms around Donghun’s neck, hanging off him. _“You’re so nice to hug now you’ve got all this extra body mass.”_

_“Are you saying I wasn’t nice to hug before?”_  
_“Noooo! Your hugs are always the best. I missed your hugs.”_

_“Ssshh!”_ He covered the younger’s mouth with his palm. _“But yeah, I missed hugging you, too.”_ He smooched Yuchan’s forehead.  
Yuchan just licked Donghun’s hand so he’d pull it away. 

_“Gross! Yuchan, don’t do that!”_

Junhee groaned and rolled over onto his side. “Is it… still today?” He mumbled sleepily. 

“Yes, Junhee. It’s still today. Sorry for waking you.” Donghun smiled, Junhee was so cute when he was tired and he noticed his blonde hair was sticking up at odd angles from sleep. 

“Yeah…” He sat up slowly, his hair almost standing on end. He rubbed his tired eyes, looking a little dazed, blinking slowly at the pair. 

“Your hair is cute, Junhee.” The older chuckled. 

Junhee tried to flatten his hair down without much success. 

“Junhee is uhh.. boo… boo-tee-fal?” Yuchan chirped, clambering out of Donghun’s lap.

“Beautiful.” Donghun corrected. 

“Beautiful.” The younger repeated, looking pleased with himself.

“Beautiful like a snow fox.” Donghun poked Junhee’s cheek.

“Stop it.” Junhee swatted at him, not being able to stop himself smiling. 

“Beautiful. Like a snow fox.” Yuchan parroted back. 

Junhee watched the pair. It was nice, actually. They really were like brothers together and Yuchan looked at him with such admiration. He watched as Yuchan turned and asked Donghun something in their own language, Junhee could only pick up the words _snow fox_ , he was probably asking Donghun what it was. The boy seemed utterly enraptured by Donghun’s description of the creature, his eyes lighting up excitedly. Junhee then heard the word _seal_ and the boy looked even more amazed, especially when Donghun attempted to do an impression of one. It even made Junhee giggle. 

It should have looked strange to Junhee that Yuchan climbed right back into Donghun’s lap and wrapped his arms around him. But it just looked so sweet and natural. “You two are cute.” He smiled, a warmness in his heart. 

. . .

Junhee stepped out blinking into the sunlight of the street. It was already bright and intense, even though it wasn’t long after dawn. The pair carried two buckets each, Donghun also bringing a drinking bowl and a length of woven rope. Apparently just after dawn was the best time of the day to collect water. 

The city seemed pretty big, or at least like it used to be big at one time. Many of the buildings were at least partially collapsed and sand had swept into the streets. The buildings were made from the same muted red stone and the streets appeared to have once been paved with the same. Junhee wasn’t sure if the buildings had once had proper roofs, but they all seemed to be made from improvised materials now. He supposed there wasn’t any rain to keep out, only sun to shelter from. 

There were only a few people out, each politely greeting them as they passed. Junhee kept his hair and face covered as much as possible to avoid attracting any attention. The last thing he wanted was to be stared at. It was uncomfortable in the heat, but he persevered. 

By the time they reached the edge of the city, everything was collapsed into rubble and there were no people around. The further they walked, the deeper into the sand the crumbled walls were buried. 

“This is the outer part of the city, the people had to migrate inwards. This is where Yuchan got bitten by a snake, actually.” Donghun explained. “The wells are on the flats, they aren’t far.” He pulled the protective scarf up over his head and mouth to protect from the dust as the wind whipped up. 

As they drew closer to their destination, Junhee could see what Donghun was referring to. The cracked earth stretched for miles like shattered ice floating on a lake. There were deep holes peppering the landscape, stretching for miles. Some seemed bigger than others but most no wider than an arm’s length, narrow and dark. When Junhee got closer, he could see just how deep they were. Some he couldn’t even see the bottom of. 

“Careful, don’t want you falling in. Wouldn’t want to lose you in a hole.” Donghun warned. 

“I’m capable of not falling into a hole, thank you.”

“Better safe than sorry.” He laughed. “Keep an eye out for one with a marker stone. It’ll be a stone with three horizontal lines painted on it. It means there’s water in it.”

Junhee looked around. He couldn’t see any marker stones nearby. “All these wells have dried up?”

“Yeah, sometimes we have to walk pretty far out or dig really deep. They refill at different rates from the water underground but some just dry up permanently.”

There were a few people gathering water a little further out but Donghun led him in the other direction. “I have a good feeling about over here.” 

They wandered a little longer, finally coming across a well with a marker stone. Donghun sat on the ground and attached one end of the rope to one of the buckets. They were already quite heavy because they were weighted with stones so they’d sink in the water and fill. 

“So, we just carefully lower it until it reaches the bottom and hopefully there’ll be enough to fill it.” The brunette began lowering the bucket down. There was an encouraging sound of it hitting water when it finally reached the bottom. “Ah! Success first time!” 

Donghun looked pretty relieved when the bucket came up half full. The importance of the situation wasn’t lost on Junhee. They hadn’t drank anything this morning because they’d depleted Yuchan’s supply already. His head was already hurting again from dehydration. They both took a drink before moving on to another well. 

That one was empty, so they tried another. 

Then another. 

Then another. 

The next few proved fruitless until they found one that gave another half filled bucket. The heat and having to carry the things around was starting to take its toll on Junhee by this point. He could feel sweat coating his whole body, the fine dust carried on the wind sticking to the damp parts of his clothes uncomfortably. 

With the next well, they heard the sound of the bucket hitting water but it came up empty. 

“Damn. It must be too shallow.” He looked around. There were no more wells with markers nearby and he could tell Junhee was struggling a lot. “I’ll go down and scoop water in.”

“Down?”

“Yeah, down.”

Junhee looked down into darkness. “I can go in, if you like.” He offered, not wanting to be useless. 

“There’s a pretty good chance of there being snakes or scorpions down there. Just so you’re aware” The older warned, raising a brow. 

Junhee quickly changed his mind on his offer. “I see.”

Donghun chuckled. “It’s fine, I’m used to doing this.” He handed Junhee the end of the rope. “Just lower this down to me.”

“You’re gonna just jump in?” Junhee looked down into the hole again, unable to see the bottom.

“Of course not. They’re narrow so you can climb in and out by pushing out against the walls. If I jumped I’d probably never make it out. It’s a two man job, though. You’ll have to pull the bucket up.” 

“I’m sure I’m strong enough to pull you up, too. I’m not some kind of lame horse.” 

“You might be strong enough, but the rope likely isn’t.” He tugged the material down from around the lower half of Junhee’s face and is own peck a quick kiss to his lips. “You are not a lame horse, Junhee.” He smiled and replaced the fabric. 

Donghun grinned and sat himself down on the edge with his feet dangling into the darkness.

“Is it safe?” Junhee asked, seeking reassurance because frankly, it didn’t seem very safe at all. 

“Uhhh pretty safe, yeah. Don’t worry, I’ve done it a thousand times and survived this long.” 

“I’ll trust you not to fall to your demise, then.”

“Just try not to drop the bucket on my head and I’ll be fine.” Donghun smiled and eased himself down over the edge, making sure he had purchase on the walls with his feet and his back to keep himself up.

It was dark and cramped, the well becoming more and more narrow as he made his way down. The temperature change was a welcome relief, though. He shuffled his way down to the bottom where he set his feet down cautiously in the water. It was only a few inches deep, as expected.

“Send it down slowly!” He called up at Junhee and waited for the bucket to reach him. He fumbled around in the darkness, scooping water up in the drinking bowl and adding it to the bucket to fill as much of it as he could. He was a little out of practice, apparently because it was awkward in the cramped space. This was something he always hated doing, but had to endure a lot since Yuchan wasn’t able to climb down himself. 

“Everything alright down there?” Junhee called.

“Yeah!” You can pull it back up now!” He lifted the bucket above his head so it wouldn’t smack him in the face on the way up. “Just be careful the rope doesn’t catch on the edge too much!”

“I got it!” Junhee started pulling slowly so as not to spill any. 

The older watched as the bucket ascended to the spot of light above before climbing back up after it. Making his way up by bracing his hands and feet against the walls and climbing. It was dangerous, sure, but necessary. It really was something he’d hated doing his whole life, made worse by the time he climbed into a well as a child, only to come across the remains of the unfortunate person who must have climbed in last and lost their footing. The fall alone probably wouldn’t kill a person but it could break his ankles and leave him unable to climb back out. 

Junhee reached for him and helped pull him out as soon as he was within reach. He’d never been quite so happy to feel the sun on him, honestly. But he put on a brave face. “Come on, we’ll go take this water home and rest. Three is plenty. Later I’ll take you to the temple, I really want you to see it.”

. . .

It was later in the afternoon, after they’d rested up, that Donghun brought Junhee along to the temple. 

The building really stood out for a number of reasons, first there was its size and then there was the fact it seemed to be in far better condition than the other building’s he’d seen around. But more than that, there were large stone pillars at it’s doors and all of its outer walls were strangely textured. Smooth wavy lines undulating over the surface, reminding Junhee of the way the sand dunes had looked. 

“Why does it look like this?” Junhee asked, running his fingertips curiously over the wall.

“Oh, there used to be carvings here. You can see them inside. The sand and wind has worn them down over time out here. They used to refresh them but if they kept carving deeper and deeper there’d be no walls left to carve. This temple was one of the first buildings here.” Donghun explained and tugged him along to led him inside. 

Within, it was a large open space. The walls and stone columns were completely covered with intricate carvings of thousands and thousands of symbols. The floors were the same worn stone and sand as the broken paved streets but the roof seemed to actually be in tact. Softened light illuminated the temple from windows behind swathes of thin hanging fabric. People milled around in what almost looked like a market place of people exchanging items such as bowls, knives and food. There were even some men with goats apparently selling milk, only Junhee didn’t see any exchange of money or goods. 

Anyway, he had to admit that the lack of direct sunlight made it feel pleasantly cooler than the outside. He only wished he could take off his head covering but again, he didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. 

At the back of the gigantic space was an enormous stone carving of a figure, tall enough to almost reach the ceiling. It sat proudly with what looked like rays of sun made from gold surrounding its upper half and a bird’s spread wings on it’s chest. In its hands it held a large chunk of blue stone.

Donghun caught Junhee gawking up in awe at the statue. “Is it impressive?” He stood behind the blonde, wrapping his arms around his middle and resting his chin on his shoulder and speaking against his ear under the scarf. “I was excited to see the look on your face.” 

“It’s huge… is it the sun god?” He continued to stare up at the stone face looking down at them. It looked stern but caring in some way. Like a stoic father looking down on his children. 

“Yeah. You see that stone in his hands?” 

Junhee nodded. 

“That’s a piece of the earth’s heart that he holds. The story goes that the earth could never touch the sky, no matter how high her mountains reached. So, she gave a piece of her heart to the sun god. He raised it up into the sky with him and that’s why there’s colour up there, it’s the light from the sun on the piece of the earth’s heart.” Donghun smiled against his ear.

“The earth’s heart…?” “There’s an earth temple, too. But it fell into ruins, it’s just outside the city. It’s still a sacred place, but it’s a temple for the dead, not for the living.” The older elaborated and pulled away, “Shall we get some goat milk? I’ll boil the cactus roots and make you that dish I told you about. Yuchan would be pleased.” 

“Sure. Do you have money with you?”

“We don’t use coins, remember?” Donghun took him by the hand again, leading him over to a stack of copper bowls and taking two, handing one to Junhee. “We give to others what we have if they need it more. We don’t sell or trade. Things have to be shared, especially if there isn’t enough to go round.”

Junhee followed closely as Donghun took them over to where the men were with their goats. He kept his head down while Donghun spoke to them in a mix of the unified language and their mother tongue. He noticed people seemed to drift in and out of one to another. It was enough for Junhee to follow that the older was asking them for milk and that they asked if he and Donghun were the wanderers some other herders had found out in the desert. He wasn’t sure what Donghun had told them but they seemed interested yet polite, wishing them both a good day. 

He dipped his head in thanks when his bowl was filled with milk, giving a small “thank you” under his breath. Not only did he not want to be stared at, but he was also very aware of how Donghun had assumed he would be robbed by Othermen at first since apparently that’s what people said about them. 

Back out in the street, they carried a bowl each. Home was only a relatively short walk away, but Junhee was exhausted and hungry. Not that he’d ever complain about it, he’d never been in a position where living was so difficult. Even in the depths of winter it wasn’t hard to survive. The relentless heat alone made it hard to even walk around. 

“Yuchan has some dried roots at home so we’ll go home and eat now. And then tomorrow I’ll take you to the king’s library. Did you notice the high tower in the centre of the city?”“Oh, yeah I did actually.” Junhee nodded.

“At the top is where the library is. I want to get the artefact the king asked for from there.”“Oh, I’d almost forgotten about that.”

There was a pause of a few beats before Donghun spoke again. “…I think after tomorrow we should head back.”

“So soon? Don’t you want to spend more time with Yuchan?”“I’ll see him again soon. But the longer we stay here the worse our body condition will become. We need to be as fit as possible to make it back. I have to admit I’m scared about going back after last time…”

“You weren’t prepared for what was beyond the mountains and you weren’t able to hunt or anything when you crossed the first time. Get us back over the sand and I’ll get us back over the mountains. We’re a team. Nobody will be alone.”

“No more bears, though. Please.” Donghun nudged him playfully with his elbow.

“Mmm… I can’t promise a lack of bears. Can you promise me I won’t get attacked by a scorpion again?”

“It didn’t attack you, Junhee.”

“I beg to differ.” He scoffed.  
“The way you screamed.” Donghun laughed. 

“That _thing_ looked dreadful!”

Donghun only laughed more at that. 

“Stop laughing at me.” 

Donghun really did try to stop himself but the giggles just bubbled out. Until, that is, Junhee stopped in the middle of the street and stood right in front of him with an incredulous look on his face. 

At first, Donghun thought maybe he’d teased too much and actually made Junhee genuinely angry with him. But just as an apology was about to leave his mouth, the blonde silenced it with a kiss. 

Junhee wasn’t sure what had possessed him but the moment had seemingly just taken him. Usually he wouldn’t have even thought about kissing someone like this in the middle of the street. But it had certainly had the desired effect in stopping the other’s laughter. Junhee parted his lips against the older’s for a brief teasing second before pulling away, looking smugly at Donghun’s stunned expression. “Well, that shut you up.” He grinned triumphantly and began sauntering off without him. 

“I love the way you tease me, my love, but you’re walking in the wrong direction!” Donghun called after a few seconds of letting him think he’d won. 

Oh. So much for his smooth exit. Junhee stopped dead in his tracks, feeling embarrassment burn his face. He didn’t have to turn around to know Donghun was probably grinning like a madman. He pulled the fabric of his scarf all the way up over most of his face, leaving only enough uncovered for him to be able to see and turned around to stalk back over. “Don’t speak to me until we get back.” He warned. 

“Oh you look so cute, Junhee.”

“It’s incredible how fast it’s possible to hate a person.”

“You’ll never hate me.”

“Sshh.”

“I love you, beautiful Junhee.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOPS this was super late. I had so many problems with this including such bad writer’s block. Sorry T-T I swear I couldn’t bare looking at this and hated ever single word so much that I ended up re-writing it entirely. 
> 
> Then I kinda needed some time to mentally recover from my Lobster Choice stunt on my Skype call with A.C.E haha, I swear their faces were an absolute picture! 
> 
> ________
> 
> **NEXT TIME:** They visit the king’s library and Donghun heads to the earth temple alone to return something to the dead. 
> 
> _“Our souls belong to the sky and our bodies belong to the earth.”_
> 
> _________
> 
> Come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheClamp2) ! :D (Sorry I do tend to post pics of my cat...)


	11. Resting Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King's library and a venture to the earth temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! I highly recommend listening to the sound of singing sand to get an idea of what Junhee hears ^^
> 
> Just a little note: Obviously there’s a lot of lore that goes with this story and some details of religious practice. I’ve tried to not make it sound similar to any specific belief system so any similarities are purely coincidental. I don’t want to offend anyone ;~;

Junhee was sitting on the thin, warn out rug, leaning against the wall and listening to a distant, almost tuneful hum. It was low in pitch droning noise, a little like the sound of a beehive from far away. He wasn’t sure what it was but he’d noticed it when the ringing in his ears had finally faded after he first woke up here. 

But he ignored the sound, nobody had mentioned it and so he didn’t like to ask. It wasn’t constant and didn’t seem to last all that long, anyway. There was probably a simple explanation and he’d out his own ignorance by asking.

The blonde’s attention shifted to Yuchan, who was busy sat weaving with some stiff dried grasses. The stuff he was using looked similar to what the ropes for drawing water from the wells and which suspended the improvised roofs were made from. The thing he was working on was rounded in shape and flat with a knot woven in on one side, making it a little thicker.

The way Yuchan was sat had caused his loose fitting trousers to ride up his leg, exposing the bottom half of the deep looking old scar where he’d suffered the snake bite. The skin pink and gnarled permanently with quite the substantial indent, looking like there was a fairly large chunk of the underlying muscle missing. 

He glanced away, not wanting to rudely stare at him. 

The very idea of living amongst creatures which could do such a thing to you made Junhee shudder. Of course there were dangerous animals in the forest. But none of them would poison you. There was something about that which felt almost sinister. A small animal which could bite you and leave only small punctures in your flesh but release a deadly poison into your body and kill you possibly hours or even days later. You could fight off the animal after the initial unassuming bite but it would likely be hopeless, it would already too late. The poison would already be taking its affect.

Junhee shifted around uncomfortably where he was sat. He wasn’t sure if it was the ache from the journey or from sleeping on the uneven floor, but his back, shoulder and neck were all stiff and painful. On top of that, his skin felt like it was suffocating in the heat. He was sweating continually and the sandy dust which seemed to just be everywhere clung to the dampness seeping into his clothes. The sun was about to set and the temperature was beginning to drop a little, but it was still stiflingly warm. If he was at home and cold, he could light a fire and wrap himself up in quilts. But there was no relief from the relentless heat.

“Are you hurting?” Donghun noticed his fidgeting. 

“I think it’s just from laying on the uneven floor.”

“I’m sorry there isn’t a bed.” The older looked genuinely regretful which made Junhee feel instantly like the most ungrateful person in the world.

“No, no. It’s fine. I’m fine, I’m just being a baby. Really.” 

Donghun didn’t look convinced. _“Yuchan, I might see if someone can spare another rug for Junhee to sleep on top of to be more comfortable.”_

The boy looked up from his task. _“Oh, my sister’s household will have a couple. I’ll go, though. She’ll yell at you for leaving unannounced if she sees you. I haven’t told her you’re here because she would march right over here and all the gods combined probably wouldn’t be able to save you.”_

 _“Ah. I feel like the scolding would be well deserved.”_ Donghun admitted. 

Junhee looked between the two, having no idea what they were talking about but following their tone and body language. 

_“Even so, I’d rather not witness her chasing you around with a cane. I’ll go.”_ Yuchan scooted over to Junhee with the thing he was making. “Here, for the heat.” He smiled and demonstrated, fanning himself with it. “Also for outside.” He raised it above his head for a moment to demonstrate again and handed it over to Junhee.

“Oh, thank you.” Ah, so that’s what it was for. To cool off and provide some shade.

The boy smiled happily and jauntily stood. “I will be back quickly.” He gave a brisk little wave before making his way out of the room

“Where’s he going?” Junhee asked. 

“He’s gone to borrow another rug from his sister so you’re more comfortable.”

“Oh no, he doesn’t have to do that!” He felt like even more of a burden now.

“I’d have gone but I don't think his sister would be happy to see me after I left unannounced.” Donghun explained. “She’s a scary lady sometimes.” He chuckled, idly tying his hair up out of his face with the length of leather cord he’d kept with him.

“Please, I already feel terrible enough.” Junhee groaned, holding his head in his hands. “I didn’t mean to complain.”

“It’s okay to complain, Junhee.” 

“I shouldn’t complain about something as stupid and trivial as the floor being uneven to sleep on. I feel like a terrible person for even thinking it. I’m so damn insensitive. It’s hard here. It’s hard to even simply walk down the street. Even getting a drink of water is hard. God, even sitting here is hard. But I only have to be here for this short while. No wonder you were so astounded when I made you take that first bath.” He heaved a long sigh. “You’re always such a positive person when you have every reason not to be. Then there’s me…” Scared and useless outside of his familiar surroundings. 

Donghun came to sit himself next to Junhee. “I have to be positive, Junhee. But I have my moments when it’s hard to be positive, too. The times I’ve found myself wracked with guilt in your home, thinking about the home I left behind. The guilt I still feel now, having abandoned this place. This is my home but I don’t want to be here anymore and it feel like I’m betraying every singly person who lived and died here before me.” His hand curled around the string of beads around his own wrist. “And then there’s pain I feel from seeing you suffer for a cause which isn’t yours to suffer for. Because of me. Sometimes I have to smile because if I don’t, I cry.”

“If it’s your cause then it’s mine, too.” He leaned his forehead against Donghun’s. “But you should let yourself cry if you need to.”

“Another time.” Donghun cracked a small smile, dismissing the topic.

Junhee let out a short huff, lungs feeling clogged and tight with too-warm air.

“Are you okay, Junhee? Is it your chest?”

“Sorry, it’s the heat.” He fanned over himself with the thing Yuchan had given him. “This is nice, though.” With his other hand, Junhee fussed at the material of his shirt in at attempt to move some air over his skin. 

Donghun watched him carefully. “You’ll probably be more comfortable if you remove your shirt. You wont burn in here.”“But Yuchan is coming back.”“It’s normal, silly.” The brunette cracked an amused smile.

“Normal for you…”

“What I mean is, you can take it off if you like and not worry about it. He won’t leer at you or anything like that. You don’t have to take it off but you just might be a little more comfortable for you to sleep, specially with the burn on the back of your neck.”

Junhee thought for a long moment, he supposed it was true, Yuchan had probably seen a thousand bare torsos and he needn’t be embarrassed. He was pretty desperate to feel a little more comfortable, anyways. “Mmm… fine. I guess you’re right.” He slowly unfastened the loose fitting shirt and let it slip down off his body. He noticed Donghun looking him up and down openly as he did so. “You always stare at me so salaciously.” He scoffed.

“Yuchan won’t leer at you, but I definitely will.” Donghun chimed playfully. 

“You truly are a letch. I don’t know why I let you lay a hand on me”

“Yes, but I also catch you sneaking looks at me all the time, Junhee” 

Junhee could feel himself blushing at the not entirely unfounded accusation. “I-I’m just looking at the tattoos. They’re interesting.” He spluttered. 

“Ah, of course. How silly of me to think otherwise. Of course you weren’t looking at my naked body with anything other than pure thoughts of appreciating the artistry in my tattoos.”

“…Indeed.” Junhee folded his arms stubbornly, looking away. 

Donghun gave a little laugh at the younger’s ridiculousness and threaded his fingers through Junhee’s hair, guiding him to look back up at him. “Would you prefer it if I don’t look?” 

Junhee simply shook his head no in a small motion before Donghun’s chapped lips slowly met his own, the older’s other hand skimming up over Junhee’s bare shoulder and upper arm where the lucky heather was delicately tattooed. His touch travelled along to the blonde’s chest, briefly playing with the leather cord where Junhee’s necklace was hung and then caressing over his skin.The warm air combined with their proximity was almost a little too much for Junhee. But nowhere near enough to make him want to pull away. Instead, he leaned closer, parting his lips and inviting Donghun to slip his tongue inside. His body still ached, the back of his neck stung, his throat was dry and sore, his head still vaguely hurting. But all that fell away in favour of the tender hands on him and the slow slide of their tongues together. 

Short breaths and light gasps, Junhee wasn’t sure which were from himself or which were from Donghun.“My beautiful Junhee, I think you’ve turned me into a jealous man.” Donghun murmured as he pulled back. “What do you mean?” Junhee blinked. “I envy the sun.” He ran a fingertip over Junhee’s chest just below his collarbones were the skin of his neck down to blow his clavicles tanned a little where it had been exposed to sunlight. “The sun gets to see you and touch you now, too.”

“The sun would never touch me again if I had any say in it. Believe me.” Junhee chuckled. “I’d much rather be touched by you.” He leaned in, recapturing Donghun’s lower lip with his own. His breath hitched when he felt Donghun’s palm swoop to his side and moved to slide up his bare back.

It felt good but the heat was climbing to the point where Junhee found it hard to breathe and his body began to feel uncomfortable again. He wanted more but he needed to breathe. Needed space and air on his skin. He could feel the sweat rolling off himself and dampening his hair. The room even began to spin a little.

Reluctantly, Junhee pulled away, panting in the heated air. “I think I’ll pass out at this rate.”

“Am I that attractive?” The older cocked his head cheekily. 

“No!” Junhee fanned himself with his hands. 

“Ouch. I’m insulted.” Donghun chuckled, picking up the fan and using it to cool Junhee down. 

“You know that isn’t what I mean.” 

“Feel better?”

“Yeah… I just felt dizzy. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry. It isn’t your fault you aren’t accustomed to the heat and I’m an excellent kisser so of course you feel dizzy.” He teased gently. 

Junhee rolled his eyes at the comment. He started to feel a lot better with Donghun fanning him, feeling far less suffocated. “It’s okay, I feel fine now.” 

“Are you sure?” Donghun handed the fan over to Junhee and leaned over to peck him on he bridge of his nose. “Did I tell you you’re beautiful today?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you should say it again to be sure.” “I love that you admit you like hearing it. You, Junhee, are beautiful and I love you.”  
Those three words again. Junhee looked down and drew in a long slow breath, held it for a few long seconds before slowly letting it out. 

“What’s wrong?” The older’s brows furrowed.

Junhee took another shuddering breath and wrapped his arms around the other, casting the fan down in the process. Maybe it was time to make it real. He knew Donghun was aware he loved him but he deserved to hear the words. “Donghun… I uh… I—”

_“Success!”_

Junhee sprang back from their compromising position, face turning bright red at being caught in the act

Yuchan, however, seemed either oblivious or to simply not care about what he’d walked in on and unfurled two extra rugs on the floor. 

Donghun, meanwhile erupted into laughter, causing Junhee to swat at his arm repeatedly until he stopped. The stupid grin still remained on the older’s face, though. _“Thank you, Yuchan.”_

 _“What’s funny?”_ Yuchan blinked at the pair

_“Junhee is what’s funny.”_

Junhee’s ears pricked up upon hearing his own name.

_“Aw, you should be kinder to him.”_

“Yuchan agrees that you’re funny.” The older poled his tongue out at Junhee. 

“I can spot lies on a person’s face from a hundred furlongs away.” Junhee kicked at him with his foot and grabbed the fan back. “Go away and sleep on the other side of the room.”

______________________  
______________________

The following morning, Junhee had woken up to a fit of coughing, chest rattling a little and burning on the side he’d been laid on. Donghun was coughing similarly and had rubbed over his back to soothe him, assuring him it was fine and that it was from breathing in the dust. 

It had eventually passed, but the slight burning feeling persisted.

No breakfast and a few precious gulps of water later, the pair set out early again. Donghun was taking Junhee to the huge palace tower which housed the king’s library in the centre of the city. Its looming presence was visible from all around. Its walls were cracked in some parts but not crumbling like many of the buildings. The tower’s base had deep sand piled up against it where the wind had blown it in to collect there. There were deep piles of sand near many walls in the city and Junhee had noticed it settled a lot like snow drifts, but the sand was much deeper here, like nobody had bothered to sweep it away for years. 

“This tower is huge.” He stared up, feeling dizzy at the scale of it.

“It extends far underground, too. There was a large chamber underneath but it isn’t accessible anymore.” The older took his hand. “I hope you don’t mind quite a climb.”

Donghun lead him inside and up the vast, spiralling staircase. Each of the seemingly endless stone steps were smooth and dipped down in the middle from hundreds of years of people walking up and down them. So many feet had stepped there before them and it served as a reminder of how ancient this city was. It had remained mostly unchanged and cut off from the rest of the world for so long. 

Junhee had been tempted to remove his head covering, since he was indoors, but they passed a few people along the way and he still didn’t want to draw attention to himself and his near-white hair. It was necessary to stave off the sun, but felt inconvenient indoors. Particularly when his chest was struggling to cope with climbing so many damn stairs. 

After a few pauses for breath on the way up to the top of the tower, they finally came out into a large, circular room. To Junhee’s surprise, it was even better preserved than the temple had been. Ornately decorated with tapestries bearing crests of the sun god and birds with their wings spread. The stone shelves brimmed with books in decorative bindings and there were intricately carved wooden chests and tables, inlaid with gild and blue stone and scattered with books and parchments. There were eight windows with the light softened by white fabric as the temple had and there was almost no dust inside at all. 

But the wear and tare accumulated over time became more apparent on closer inspection. The books looked weathered and desiccated, especially those left out and the unbound scrolls of parchment. The paper having grown fragile and thin, the ink badly faded in many places. 

There were a group of men seemingly trying to restore the words on some of them and a woman appeared to be teaching some young children how to read the texts. “Come look.” Donghun called him over to a window he was looking out of, pulling the window covering aside. “You see that?” He pointed out to the horizon. Junhee gazed out. There was something strange out in the distance. At first he thought it was mountains. But no, it didn’t look quite right. He squinted, it looked like red billowy clouds attached to the ground rather than the sky. There were these bizarre flashes of light in there, too. “What is it? Clouds?”

“A sandstorm. That’s what I was worried we’d be stuck in. The sand moves fast enough to rub away your skin and it’ll blind you.”“Will it reach the city?”“Sometimes they do but they’ve usually weakened across the wastes by the time they do. The winds from the other direction aren’t strong enough. But if one came we would still have to hide indoors. It takes so long to clear the sand from homes afterwards, even if you’re shut in it’ll still find it’s way inside. Even without a sand storm I’m sure you’ve noticed it always finds a way inside. You can’t shut out the desert.” He spoke solemnly and replaced the window covering. 

“I guess not…” Junhee turned to look around at the room again. “There were stories about mountains of treasure and you said yourself that the ancient king was greedy, right? Why don't we bring back a piece of that?” He wondered out loud.“Most of it was repurposed. The gold and coins melted down and used for useful things. The kings’s treasure is what was kept under this tower but it’s entombed now and filled up with sand, nobody’s been able to get inside during my lifetime, anyway. No point in trying to dig out the chamber, you can’t eat or drink gold and you can’t trade it for things which don’t exist.” Donghun searched through some parchments, looking for something small and easy to carry which was indisputably from here.  
He looked through some piles of parchments. Most were simply writings of the world as it had been before the king had shut the nation off and some were scriptures. That didn’t seem good enough, though. Simple writing would be easy to forge and the king might not deem it suitable enough evidence. 

He scanned his eyes over some scrolls packed into a shelf. He pulled one out to take a look, unfurling it on a nearby table to reveal a map of the old kingdom how it once was. The small settlements which once existed and even the boarder with the Northern Kingdom. 

He looked closer at the faded ink. There were thin, wavy lines around where the wastes were now. Perhaps that area really had been a lake.  
While the older searched, Junhee wandered around in fascination until he came to the window on the opposite side of the room from the one he’d looked out of before. He drew back the covering and peered out. 

A sea of undulating sand, strangely uniform in its nature. Gigantic blue stones protruded from the earth, standing out against the red of the landscape. Junhee jolted a little in surprise when he felt arms encircle around his waist and Donghun’s chin lean on his shoulder. “I didn’t want you to see such a sad sight.” He murmured to the blonde. 

“What is it? I don’t understand.”

“It’s the earth temple. It’s where the dead go. Those are burial mounds.”

“Oh…”“The burial mounds are where the sand has laid itself over them. Sometimes a stone is placed out there in the place of a person who’s perished and their body lost. You can see the mounds for years and years after a person is gone because of how the wind blows the fine sand on this side of the land around them naturally.”Junhee paled at the thought. “They… are left laying out there? For the sand to cover them?” 

“Of course. They’re taken back into the earth.” Donghun explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. As though Junhee should know this. 

It was an idea which was difficult for Junhee to get his head around, though. The idea of a person being left laying out in the elements after death was not only gruesome but it also contradicted his beliefs on what would happen to the person’s soul. “So… you don’t burn them?” Junhee was so used to seeing the dead burning on a funeral pyre. People would trek into the forest to try to find a person who was believed to have died out there. The nearby town which had been poisoned by water from the mines had been set ablaze after, the number of dead had been too great to build individual pyres. 

Without the fire, the soul remains earthbound — wandering and lost, right? Like everybody else he’d always been around, Junhee always believed that your the ascended in the rising smoke but obviously that wasn’t something they believed here. 

Junhee supposed who’s to say one way was right and the other wrong? It still felt uncomfortable, though. The mounds gave such a stark visual reminder that death was never far away. 

“When you die, you’re released from your body at that moment. The body is something which is empty and it’s needed to feed the other things which live here. You aren’t using your body after you die. It’s sacred ground out there, though. Most of temple itself is buried now but you can still see some of the alters.” He looked over at Junhee. “Are you uncomfortable with it?”“I just… it’s very different to what I’ve always known. We burn our dead to release the soul.”“Do you think this is wrong?”“It’s just shocking for me because I’ve only ever known my own world.” A world he didn’t consider so narrow until meeting Donghun. Not because he was ignorant to the fact a world existed around him, he simply never had to confront it and nor did he ever have to think about it. “I don’t think anything you do is wrong. I just… I don’t know. I’m starting to think the gods have more important things to worry about than what we do.”

“I have to go out there once we’re done here. The prince consort gave me a necklace I have to return, the stones should be scattered out there. Let the pieces of souls find each other.” Junhee had some strange beliefs. Between the sage burning and now this. Donghun wondered what the Othermen’s obsession with burning things was. 

“Would you like me to come?”

Donghun considered it for a moment. But no, Junhee shouldn’t go there. There were bodies out there in various states of desiccation, contorted and dried out— half buried by the natural shifting of the sands. No. Junhee had suffered enough to come out here in the firs place and almost lost his life when he didn’t need to. “It’s fine. I think I should go alone. Besides, I think Yuchan could do with some help with some stuff if that’s okay.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course. Sorry, it isn’t my place.” Junhee seemed to shrink a little. “I just want to understand… I want to experience all I can while I’m here. I’m not good with being in unfamiliar environment but I want to push myself because everything here is a part of you. But I understand if it’s a place I’m not welcome.”

Donghun slowly took Junhee’s hand with a long sigh. “You’re always welcome anywhere here, Junhee. You… you can come to the edge if you like. I just really think you should reserve your energy for now and rest before we leave in the morning. We’ll go collect Yuchan and he can walk back home with you. We’ll drop this parchment off when we go get him.”

Junhee looked down at the rolled up scroll in the older’s hand. “Okay…” Junhee was finally understanding Donghun’s eagerness to help him with every little thing when he first arrived at his home.

. . . 

The three walked out together, Yuchan insisting on taking Junhee’s hand, proudly declaring how he’ll protect Junhee from all of the scorpions. 

The earth temple was further out than it had looked from the tower. But Junhee could see the blue monoliths piecing out of the desert from a good distance. He didn’t need his keen eyesight for it, either. They were even more gigantic than they’d seemed from above.

The eerie, haunting humming sound Junhee had noticed previously was ringing around them. Except here it was so loud that it transcended eerie and was outright chilling. A hollow, lamenting sound which made an uncomfortable feeling of dread scrape at the inside of Junhee’s stomach. It reminded him of the wailing spirits they said walked the tundras, a sound he’d heard as a child but it was different. It seemed to permeate to his very core and along with the knowledge that the area was a place full of the dead sent shivers though Junhee’s body and a horrible sense of foreboding. What if he were to be cursed? What if the dead clung to him and caused him a lifetime of misfortune? 

“Junhee is… okay?” Yuchan asked the him suddenly, squeezing his hand. 

Junhee didn’t realise he’d stopped walking. “That noise… it’s so loud. I noticed it before.” He didn’t like it one bit. It made him feel like he shouldn’t be there. Like nobody should be there. The air felt heavy and he was afraid. Afraid of all those earth bound souls. Because that’s what it sounded like, souls crying out.He felt like an idiot because neither Donghun nor Yuchan seemed to pay it any mind. 

“The sound? It’s the sand. It makes this singing sound when the wind blows across it a certain way. It’s especially loud around here.” Donghun’s brows pressed together with concern. “Sorry, I should have warned you, I forget you wont know about these things.”

“It’s just the sand?”

“Yeah, some people say it’s the earth talking to the sky, though. But it’s nothing bad.”

“Don’t be scared.” Yuchan rubbed his shoulder and glanced at Donghun.

So again, Junhee had found himself terrified by something he didn’t know or understand. Here he was, so far from home. He desperately wanted to understand, though. This was Donghun’s home. His life. The older had moulded himself so well to life in the Northern land. This experience was making him realise exactly how strange it had been for him. So, he swallowed down his fear. Taking his own advice and trying to remain outwardly calm. “I-I’m not afraid, it’s just the heat.”

 _“You were right, I don’t think he’s comfortable, he’s holding my hand really tightly.”_ Yuchan spoke.

 _“Take him home, I don’t want him to force himself. He’s stubborn, I knew this was a bad idea. He’s very superstitious.”_

Yuchan nodded and stumbled a little, putting on a pained little yelp. 

Junhee automatically grabbed for him to stop him from falling further. “Are you okay?”

Yuchan took ahold of Junhee’s shoulders. “My leg has a lot of pain today. Should go back. Please? You will help me?”

“Oh uh…” Junhee started.

“Please?” Yuchan leaned heavily onto Junhee. “Pain.”

“You two head back, I’ll be fine.” Donghun did feel bad for lying, but this was for Junhee’s own good. He could practically feel the fear radiating out of him.

“If—… okay…” Junhee frowned a little. “Yuchan, I can carry you. Come on, hop up on my back.” He indicated to the younger until Yuchan got the idea and hopped up on his back. He should at least make himself useful, he thought to himself. 

As he carried him, It struck Junhee how light the boy was.

“Junhee is strong!”

“Just be careful, you two! Don’t get exhausted!” Donghun warned, watching the pair as they headed back towards the city.

Reaching the earth temple, he saw that it was just as it was when he left. The bones of the dead poking out in various places, scattered by winds and time. The huge greenish blue stones penetrating up through the earth in a large rocky outcrop, crumbling alters carved into the brightly coloured stone. He ran his hand over the smooth rock face, looking up as it towered over him, casting him in shadow. It felt cool under his palm, despite the being heat radiating down from the sun. 

This was supposed to be where the earth’s heart penetrated through its surface. 

He walked a little further out amongst the burial mounds, being careful not to disturb any or step on any stray remains. This was a place he never found strange until now. But suddenly it felt very slightly uncomfortable. It was a monument to mortality. He was always very familiar with death and accustomed it it, he had to be. He had no choice in the matter. But the idea never really sat right with him and that feeling was even more pronounced now.

Maybe it wasn’t death he was uncomfortable with. Maybe it was just the thing which had never felt right to him because he knew he’d die one day, he just was never content to sit around and wait for it. Life was precious and he hadn’t wanted to waste it. 

That had been the thought which struck him the morning he left.

He had always talk about leaving as a child and as a result he’d been branded as nothing but a dreamer, just like his father. Because who would want to die in the Wastes just to try and reach a land filled with thieves and killers? Ones who would rob you of the only precious things you owned?

He looked over the uniform mounds as he walked, unsure which ripple in the sand covered the earthly remains of his parents, grandparents, siblings, or indeed any of his friends. Unconsciously, he touched the beads wrapped around his wrist. A sense of loneliness crept up on him, slowly crawling up his spine like some sort of ominous being conjured from somewhere in the darkness. 

Even the wind felt empty and lonely, the sand was especially fine because the lighter dust carried further. The sun looked hazy and the sky tinted red, probably whipped up from the nearby sandstorm. He made sure to breathe through the cloth of his head covering to protect his lungs, though he could already feel them being irritated by the debris. He’d coughed through most of the morning, he almost forgot what it was like to awake and find yourself in fits of coughing up the dust you breathed in the day before which had settled in the airways. He’d rubbed over Junhee’s back and assured him it would pass, the younger’s breathing sounded more painful to him than his own.

Donghun closed his eyes and listened to the haunting bellow of the singing sand, he could understand why Junhee had been afraid. The sound used to scare him as a child, too.

 _“I’m sorry I don’t know who you are.”_ He drew the string of blue beads the prince consort had given him from his pocket. _“I’m sorry you probably spent a long time in a dark box. Don’t be angry with the prince, he’s the one who gave you to me to bring you home.”_

Taking his knife from his belt, he cut the string and held it at both ends so that the beads wouldn’t slip off just yet. _“But hey, you’re back here now. I hope you’ll be happy. I’m glad you could come home. I just wish I knew who your family were.”_ They were all likely gone by now, anyway. The gold claps looked a lot like those worn by the nomadic people who used to live out in the desert. They’d perished a long time before Donghun was even born.

He took the end of the cord and swung it out, sending the beads flying off and scattering as far as possible and raining down on the fine dust. _“Rest well.”_ He closed his eyes again for a few minutes, wondering gif maybe it was true that the singing of the sand was the earth talking to the sky. 

He headed slowly back to the outcrop of blue stone and rubbed his hand over it one more time. Was the earth’s heart reaching for the sun? Imagine never being able to touch the cheek of one’s love. 

_“Are you angry at me for leaving?”_ He didn’t know if the earth was even listening. _“I know it’s my home here, but… The Otherland is still the same earth, right? You’re still there under my feet. And maybe it really is the same sun, too.”_ He dropped to his knees in the shade of the monolith, hands hitting the warm but not burning sand. It felt soft thanks to centuries of being worn down to a finer and finer powder, buffeted about by the endless wind in the ancient desert. _“And why should people resign themselves to die here for the greed of an ancient king? Why should we choke on the air we breathe and waste away?”_

. . . 

Back at home, Junhee was helping Yuchan prepare the dried pearl barley they’d brought with them in case of emergencies. Since they’d have to leave in the morning, it made sense to eat well tonight. 

“What is?” Yuchan pointed at the pouch of grains.

“Grain. It will go soft.” He explained, dropping it into shallow boiling water over a small fire in the middle of the room. 

Yuchan scooted over to a basket next to the door and drew out some dried out lizards tied to a string. “Put inside.” He smiled and untiled two of the things before dropping them into the pot.

“I kind of miss hare stew. I’ll never get bored of it again.” Junhee joked to himself. 

“Hair?” Yuchan pulled at a lock of his own hair.

“Uh, never mind.” The blonde laughed and stirred the pot. He remembered Donghun having the exact same confusion.

“Pretty smile.” The younger commented and poked Junhee’s cheek before he seemed to remember something and moved to rummage through the pile of fabric on the rug Donghun had been sleeping on. Junhee watched out of the corner of his eye until the younger found what he was looking for and came back to sit next to Junhee. It was a piece of parchment with some words scrawled on it. “Donghun helped” He held it out to Junhee, looking proud of himself.

“Oh… I can’t read. I’m sorry.”

“Unified language.” The boy persisted in holding it out for Junhee to read.

“I can’t read anything.”

Yuchan looked incredibly confused. Junhee figured he probably thought he wasn’t understanding Junhee correctly. “Oh… I can a little.” Yuchan scanned over the thing a few times before beginning to read it out. “I want to say thank you Junhee for looking after Donghun and for making him so happy. He love you very much. Has big heart and big hearts hurt easily, so thank you for holding it with gentle hands. For that, I’ll be in your debt always. For saving his life and for saving his happiness.” His pronunciation slipped a few times, but Junhee understood loud and clear. “You will be my friend, Junhee?” The boy opened his arms to him, a huge, bright smile on his face.

Junhee nodded, feeling tears gathering at the corners of his eyes at what Yuchan had said. “Of course I’ll be your friend.” Before he knew it, he was tackled into a hug which knocked the air right out of him and almost sending him flopping backwards onto the floor. He let out a shocked grunt at the sudden impact. “Sorry, Donghun said not touch too much because you don’t like.” “It’s okay, you just surprised me.” He sat himself straighter and ruffled Yuchan’s hair, not minding his arms around him. “Hey, what is the word for friend? Not in the unified language.” 

“Word for friend? Friend is nukoeh.” 

“Nukoeh?”

“Yes!” Yuchan clapped excitedly. “You know more words?”

Donghun had told him the word for goat, hadn’t he? He searched his memory for a moment. “A-Ahja?” 

Yuchan burst out laughing loudly. “Ahja?”

“Yeah, we have them in the Nor—” He stopped to correct himself. “In the Otherland. We call them goats.”

“Goats? Ahja goats.” For some reason Yuchan found that hilarious and it was rather contagious, making Junhee laugh, too.

“Yep. Hey, when you come over to the Otherland I think you’ll like it a lot.”

“I’m excited but I have… uh.. fear? Lot of fear.”“Why?”

Yuchan bit his lip in thought. “Very different.”

Junhee could definitely relate to that. “Different is scary, yeah. But Donghun and I will make sure you settle in. You won’t be alone.

“Donghun like his father. Always wanted to go to Otherland. Not like most people. Most have fear. Prefer to remain.”

“Will your family come? You have a sister?”

“Sister? She will stay.” Yuchan looked down sadly, his lower lip wobbling a little. “Scared not to see sister but scared to die. And scared to be alone in Otherland.”

“Like I said, you won’t be alone, you’ll stay in my home with us. Our home.”

“Your home?” Yuchan’s face lit back up and he gave Junhee another tight squeeze, practically sitting himself in Junhee’s lap and kissing his cheek.

 _“Don’t suffocate him, Yuchan. He doesn’t like it. It’s rude to touch in such a familiar way for Othermen.”_ Donghun scolded jokingly as he walked into the room, shaking the red dust from his hair. 

“Sorry Junhee.” Yuchan pouted, and relaxed his grip but not entirely letting go of him. 

Junhee extrapolated that Donghun had scolded Yuchan for being all over him. “It’s okay.” Granted, all the touching was a little unusual for him, but it didn’t make him as uncomfortable as he thought it would. 

“Is okay?” Yuchan hugged him tighter again. “Donghun, I keep Junhee myself now.”

“You can have him.” 

“Hey!” Junhee glowered. 

_“Ah Donghun, He doesn’t let you get away with being rude, you should marry him immediately.”_ Yuchan teased.

 _“Hmph. Maybe one day I will.”_ Donghun replied petulantly, making Yuchan squeal with glee.

“Did you do what you needed to do?” Junhee asked suddenly. “With the necklace?”

“Yeah, I can leave in good conscience now.”

 _“Are you still leaving tomorrow morning?”_ Yuchan looked up.

_“Yeah, sorry… but I promise I’ll say goodbye this time.”_

“We made some food, come and eat.” Junhee motioned to the bubbling pot. “Lizard and dried barley. I think it’ll become my specialty from now on.”

“Sounds delicious.” Shrugging off his sweaty shirt and sitting down, Donghun looked down into the pot. “I am going to eat every eel in the lake when we get back. I’ll catch them with my bare hands if I have to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for the slow updates lately! >.<
> 
> ———
> 
> **NEXT TIME:** _“Of course.” Donghun kissed Yuchan’s damp cheek. “Please don’t cry or I’ll cry too.”_
> 
> Come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheClamp2) ! :D (Sorry I do tend to post pics of my cat...)


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